Tag Archives: mm reviewers

Out of a Fix by Mary Calmes (Torus Intercession #7)

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TITLE: ⟫ Out of a Fix
AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ Torus Intercession #7
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ If you put a family back together, how can you ever leave them?

Through the years, Nash Miller has watched all his buddies fall in love and get married. It was romantic, and he’d wondered when he himself would find the one. Now, older, wiser, he realizes that what he’s always wanted—a husband and a family—just isn’t in the cards for him. And that’s all right. He has wonderful friends, a good life, and he gets to help people, which has always been his true calling. So when the time comes to protect a family in a tiny town in Washington State, he’s more than willing to get on his white horse and ride.

The family needs a bodyguard, but it goes beyond that. The mother abandoned them for a new life, and the father is absent, stuck on a work project he took on to keep his family afloat. What Nash finds are three kids in need of a fixer, and lucky for them, that’s exactly what he does. Providing support and structure is second nature to him, and he’s on solid ground, confident…until their father, Luke Duchesne, gets home. He’s nothing like Nash assumed he’d be, and with each passing day, the lure of the man, and his great kids, gets harder to resist. But he can’t stay there. He’s a fixer, after all, and what they’re all feeling is simply gratitude. Isn’t it…? Though when Luke kisses him, it starts to feel like so much more. Nash hopes he’ll be able to explore a life with Luke—he just needs to make sure his own isn’t cut short.

REVIEW: ⟫ Struggling with a book hangover (Garrett Leigh’s Just This Once destroyed me), I discovered the last book in the Torus Intercession was ready for me to read. And this one was so lovely and so much fun! Nash is one of the oldest fixers working for Torus Intercession and has watched all of his friends find their person, some of them very close to home.

What he doesn’t expect when he takes on the latest ‘fix’ is a family in desperate need of someone to be the heart, the glue that keeps them together. He bonds with the children first, helping them deal with the loss of their mother and the (apparent) desertion of a father who is struggling to keep afloat. The kids in this had me rolling with laughter and when Luke returned home, things heated up in such a fabulous fashion. True to her normal formatting, Calmes crafted a situation where working together and communicating made everything so much better, and beneath all of that we had plots involving cartel members and corrupt police officials.

This was exactly what I needed – Mary Calmes is one of my comfort reads because she always ensures a happy ending, along with glimpses of previous favourites that makes my heart so happy. If you’ve read her before, you know just what you’re getting into and I’m sure fans will enjoy this final instalment.

Free Fall by Leta Blake (Free Fall Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Free Fall
AUTHOR: ⟫ Leta Blake

SERIES: ⟫ Free Fall #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ He climbs like he lives—reckless, relentless, and alone. Until Sejin.

Dan lives for danger, solitude, and the next impossible summit.
Emotions? Not part of the plan.
Relationships? Not even on the map.

But when Sejin stumbles into his life—steady, soft-hearted, and looking for something real—Dan starts craving a risk even greater than the next connection.

Their chemistry is electric. Their nights are intense.
And love? That was never the goal.

But some falls—you don’t walk away from.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was all kinds of hot but also frustrating. I didn’t realise that this ended on a cliffhanger – and a pretty big one at that.

I was fascinated by Dan and the way he lived his life – I have heard of climbing without ropes and seen it in a few movies, but this was a far closer look at the sport. I loved Sejin (it doesn’t hurt that I’ve very recently got into K-pop so I was making note of the songs he listened and danced to) and the chemistry between he and Dan was palpable. I struggled with of this because the two of them bascally shoved their heads into the sand and pretended that the big thing that could very well end them wasn’t there and I wanted to shake them.

But more than anything I need the time this weekend to read the next book in the series and find out what the heck happened!!

The Club by Rina Saint (Dangerous Games Book #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ The Club
AUTHOR: ⟫ Rina Saint

SERIES: ⟫ Dangerous Games #2
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Rafael
What the hell is Dominic Capelli doing in my club? Best guess, he wants revenge. I did shoot his father, after all. And, yeah, he’s looking at me like he wants to hurt me. The thing is … I’m very much into that.

I know it’s a bad idea to play with him, but bad ideas are my favorite kind. And he’s so very, very sexy.

Dominic
I didn’t come in here to screw Rafael. I came in here to screw with him. I just wanted to see how he’d react. Now that I don’t have my father to hate, I need something new.

So when Rafael starts screwing with me, when he starts trying to expose my long-hidden desires, I decide to punish him. I know I’ll enjoy it. The problem is, I think he might enjoy it too.

I’ll have to kill him in the end, of course, but maybe, before I do, we can play a little game.

*Books in the Dangerous Games series can be read as standalones. However, The Club does pick up on some events from The Contract (and why on earth would you want to skip the smutty feast that is Dante and Tristan???). 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: ⟫ Oh heck yeah, this was awesome! Dark with some seriously nasty, dirty sex scenes with an underlying plot that was gruesome in some of its’ details. I really loved this – we learn more about Nate, but Rafael and Dominic were most definitely front and centre. The way in which they both tried to protect the other whilst putting themselves into increasingly dangerous situations was frustrating but also very, very hot! The ending was satisfying, bloody and so much justice was served – extremely satisfying. It looks like I’ve read all of the books the author currently has available but I will keep an eye out for more!

The Contract by Rina Saint (Dangerous Games #1)

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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.

Confession by Rina Saint (Constantine Brothers #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ Confession
AUTHOR: ⟫ Rina Saint

SERIES: ⟫ Constantine Brothers #2
RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ I’ve been keeping secrets from my boss. I have to. Because how the hell do you tell a straight man that you’ve been in love with him for years?

If he found out, everything would collapse, and I’ve worked so hard to hold my life together, all these pieces that I don’t deserve: a home, a position, trust. But it’s only getting harder because he keeps watching me, keeps touching me—and I can’t handle it.

I try to tell myself that it’s in my head, but it’s not. Something’s changed between us, and I don’t understand. I don’t know what to do, and I’m terrified that I’m going to do something really, really stupid.

I just have to lock down. I’m good at that. I’ve been doing it for years. I don’t need anything. I swear I don’t. But then he touches me again, unnecessarily, like he’s trying to figure something out, and everything I tell myself I don’t need, everything I can’t have anyway, feels very much like everything I can’t live without.

REVIEW: ⟫ I grabbed this as soon as I finished reading ‘Possession’ and it looks like very little time has passed since that book. Vitali is dealing with his guilt that he didn’t find Roman or save him from his captors, as well as how blind he feels he was about his uncle.

And this whole new view on Quinn that has taken over his mind is driving him insane. I really enjoyed reading as Vitali began to understand what was happening to him, and I especially loved the way that he handled Quinn – the imagery of this bodyguard giving in so completely was incredibly sexy. I loved the ongoing plot regarding what happened to Roman, as well as Vitali trying to consolidate their power in the territory – the double crossing of double crossing was mind bending and so well done. Yeah, really enjoyed this one, especially the strange family that the Constantine brothers made with Lucas, Sasha and Quinn. A very good duology that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Flagrant Foul by Jesse H. Reign (Totally Pucked #3)

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TITLE: ⟫ Flagrant Foul
AUTHOR: ⟫ Jesse H. Reign

SERIES: ⟫ Totally Pucked #3
RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ He’s my brother’s best friend. I’m the annoying kid who followed him everywhere.

Now we’re playing for the same team.

Sev Delorean is an NHL D-man with an excess of swagger and stickhandling techniques that made him world famous. He’s the bane of my existence and my reason for living.

He’s strictly off limits though. My brother has made that perfectly clear.

I can’t have him, but I can obsess over him.

REVIEW: ⟫ My absolute favourite part of this (apart from Mae) was that Teddy understood. This book was by turns aggravating, confusing, inspiring and beautiful – very much like the relationship between Sev and Teddy! It always surprises me how Jesse H. Reign manages to have such different characters in each story and yet inspire such adoration and love from me for these people – and seeing people popping up from previous stories is like seeing old friends again.

I adored this book – Teddy was out of his mind, but Sev wasn’t far behind – and his chaos was fabulous to watch. I would kill to see a video of Teddy dancing in the goal and Sev’s response – it sounds freaking brilliant! Actually, I lied – my favourite part was Sev’s response to Teddy being knocked into the goalpost and his reply to his manager – I cackled so hard reading what he said!

Yeah, my love for Jesse H Reign continues unabated and I cannot wait to see what’s going to happen to Nate!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Off-Ice Misconduct by S. Legend (Daddies of the League #8)

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TITLE: ⟫ Off-Ice Misconduct
AUTHOR: ⟫ S. Legend

SERIES: ⟫ Daddies of the League Book #8
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Ace McKinnon

If you don’t want me, you want to be me.

Being so popular, my extracurricular activities crashed my GPA risking my NCAA eligibility. I asked my professor if there was any way to bump my grade. Let’s just say we worked out a clandestine deal.

Look, life is short, okay? My mom’s proof of that. The most beautiful female hockey player there ever was, died too soon.

But let’s see … captain of the hockey team, president of Alpha-Sigma, full-time course load, and looking after said hockey team and frat members around the clock.

Is it any wonder I have to persuade a few professors to help me with my grades?

Professor VanCourt doesn’t even look like a professor. It looks like someone abducted him from the wilderness and dropped him in the classroom. His feral eyes give “raised by wolves”, and I might have been the first human he’s talked to in a while, judging by how many of his words are grunts.

This guy is so not gonna let me “work out a deal”. He’s set on putting me in my place.

Luke VanCourt

His body is a conduit for power, all the force in the world his to harness. It bends to his will.

That’s probably why everyone trips over themselves for him. They probably want to be controlled by all that wild power.

Not me. I want to restrain it. Keep it under my thumb. Keep him under my thumb.

My brother has no issues keeping his team perfectly obedient on the ice, but he needs help with them off the ice.

Ace McKinnon is the key.

All I need to do is make him comply, and the rest will fall into line.

But I’ve never claimed to be a saint. What’s wrong with having fun while I do it?

Daddies of the League is a college ice hockey shared world, where you’ll find Daddies both on and off the ice. Skate into your newest obsession and grab them all. Off-Ice Misconduct features an MM age-gap relationship with the kind of possessiveness that will make you shiver and morally gray heroes.

REVIEW: ⟫
So a few arcs overtook this on the tbr pile so I’m only just finishing it. This was entertaining although a little confusing on occasion. I haven’t read any of the other Daddies books in the series, but Luke was an absolute trip and I loved him so much! Him and Ace together were a potent duo and I adored how Luke took Ace under control and made his life better. Obsession, but good obsession. Not sure how I feel about Coach but I guess I’ll find out in the next book!

Kiss-Fist by E.M. Lindsey & Cora Rose (Deaf Hearts #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Kiss-Fist
AUTHOR: ⟫ E.M. Lindsey & Cora Rose

SERIES: ⟫ Deaf Hearts #1
RATING: ⟫ /5

BLURB: ⟫ Whoever convinced me to join the gym needs to be hung, drawn, and quartered. Or, at the very least, suffer with a pillow hot on both sides every night, because this? This is terrible.

Running? No thank you.

Lifting? Who needs biceps anyway.

Now, I will say the eye-candy is nice. Especially my new personal trainer with the tattoos and dimples. But that’s all he can ever be: eye candy.

Because he’s fit and I’m not.

He’s gorgeous and I’m, well, me.

He’s hearing…and I’m Deaf.

For some people that might not be an issue, but for me, I have rules. And I’m a stubborn man who will not break them, not even for that sexy crooked smile that almost makes me forget my own name.

But I don’t date men who can’t speak my language, and while we can say plenty with our bodies, that’s where our communication ends.

Still, the longer I spend with him, the more I’m starting to realize there may be more to this relationship than frantic, feral office hook-ups. After all, he might be the first hearing person to learn sign for me. And he’s one of the first people I’ve ever known to make me feel worthy.

So maybe, just maybe, that’s worth a little compromise.

Kiss-Fist is the first book in the Deaf Hearts series and can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. It’s a spicy MM enemies to lovers rom-com featuring a grumpy professor, a sunshine gym-bro, and their swoon-worthy happily ever after.

REVIEW: ⟫ Currently reading – review to follow.

Cruel When He Smiles by Avery Collins (Sinners of Blackthorne Book #3)

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TITLE: ⟫ Cruel When He Smiles
AUTHOR: ⟫ Avery Collins

SERIES: ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U #3
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Liam Callahan likes to break things.
… and Nate Carter was made to be broken.

Liam
I was trained not to feel. Taught to observe, manipulate, and control.
Nothing prepared me for Nate Carter.
He’s stubborn and beautiful in his resistance. The harder he fights, the deeper I sink my teeth in. I engineered the therapy sessions so I could get closer and watch him unravel. To dissect his fire and watch him spiral from the inside out.
But Nate is fury wrapped in lace, and he makes me feel things I was never meant to feel.
Want. Possession. Hunger.
Now, I can’t stop. Not until he’s mine; broken, rebuilt, and burning just for me.

Nate
I knew Liam Callahan was dangerous the moment I met him.
Too perfect. Too polished. Too in control.
They said the anger management sessions were routine, but nothing about Liam is routine. He gets into your head with softness, pulls you apart with praise, and leaves you craving the pain he caused.
So why do I keep going back?
I don’t know what’s real anymore…what’s me, and what’s Liam’s design.
***
Cruel When He Smiles is the third book in the interconnected Sinners of Blackthorne U series, but it is a complete standalone. Readers are advised to approach with caution and ensure they are comfortable with the listed triggers and content warnings before proceeding.

This is not a traditional romance. Reader discretion is advised.

REVIEW: ⟫ Reader discretion is right – this book was so full of red flags, it looked like a football stadium! I couldn’t decide which one of them was the most messed up but then I reached a certain point in the story and realised just why they were so well matched and fit together perfectly. The background characters were so good – Killian is my absolute favourite although I’m not sure what they says about me – but we also got to see Sage and Roman again which was great.

The research that must have gone into this is mind-blowing and I really wasn’t expecting this. I’m trying so hard not to give spoilers because I really think this series is so much more rewarding when you go into it blind, but suffice it to say that books 1 and 2 were tasters for the absolute gourment meal that this book was. The sex was steaming, the possessive obssessiveness was next level and I raced through it because I really wanted to know where it was going. The back and forth, the banter, the lace – yeah, this may well be my favourite out of all of these books and I’m not surprised to realise that I read all three of them within a week! Adding Avery Collins to my must-read list and contemplating reading her heterosexual romance to see if she can cause the same feelings in me that these three stories did!