mm reviewers | Book-Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Bitter When He Begs
AUTHOR: ⟫ Avery Collins

SERIES: ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #2
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Luca
I’ve built my life on control. On the field, in my reputation, and in keeping my demons buried where no one can see.
Sage Blackwell was never supposed to be a part of that. The nerdy prodigy overheard something that could ruin my entire career, so I do the only logical thing. I don’t threaten him. I don’t scare him off.
I claim him.
I tell myself it’s about survival, about keeping my secret safe. But the longer I keep him close, the more I realize I might be addicted again.
Only this time, my drug of choice is him.

Sage
I wasn’t supposed to hear it.
I definitely wasn’t supposed to get caught.
One wrong step. One overheard conversation. That’s all it takes to make me the unwilling keeper of Luca Devereaux’s darkest secret.
Now, Blackthorne U’s arrogant, untouchable quarterback, has decided I belong to him.
He’s relentless, possessive and cruel in the way only someone with too much power and too little consequences can be.
Being owned by Luca might just destroy me… especially when I realize I don’t want him to let go.

***
Bitter When He Begs is the second 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.

REVIEW: ⟫ Well if I thought book 1 was unhinged, book 2 basically went just that little bit higher! Luca Devereaux was everything that’s wrong with elitist society – using his money, position and power to make his problems go away without facing any consequences. Sage Blackwell is in the unfortunate position of accidentally coming into some information that could cost Luca dearly, and Luca can’t afford to let that happen.

It would have been so easy to make this a more traditional ‘bully’ trope, but Avery Collins dug deeper and harder, turning this story into a scorching tale of obsession, love and addiction, with a side order of kink. It was too easy initially to think of Sage as the innocent caught up in something he didn’t understand, but the further I read, the more I realised that Sage had issues of his own that made him more than a match for Luca.

The background plot and characters were solid, adding depth and nuance to the story, as well as causing more than a tear or two of their own. The relationship between Sage and Luca was by turns hot, confusing, dangerous, dark and ultimately a fabulous love story, with them becoming each other’s anchor in the turbulent seas they were facing. I think I still prefer book one but only by a smidge, and spending more time with Roman and Damon was fabulous. Luca and Sage fought so hard for their happily ever after and the change in the two of them, supported by their friends, was beautiful to witness.

Now I only have book three to read and I’m sad to say goodbye to these guys – in such a short space of time, they really touched my heart.

TITLE: ⟫ Beyond Hate
AUTHOR: ⟫ Lee McCormick

SERIES: ⟫ Beyond #3
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ The only thing stronger than hate is… his obsession.

Otto

In another life, I’d loved Nikki. In another life, he’d betrayed me. Brought back by a corrupt company who deals in souls and reincarnation, I was promised a chance for revenge. I wasn’t born a psychopath, but death made me into one. Nikki made me into the monster I am.

The problem is, the man they say is Nikki is… different. His name is London, and he’s pure light and softness. I want to peel away his layers to see if the boy I knew—the boy who broke me—is still somewhere inside.

London

My life is thrown into a world of darkness and impossibility when I’m taken by a man who tells me he knows me, who tells me I betrayed him. I don’t know Otto, but something inside me recognizes him.

Even though he abducted me, chained me up… even though he made me watch him do unspeakable things… for some reason, my body craves his darkness. I want to run away, I want to run toward him. I need to know why I’m drawn to a man who wants to break me apart.

Beyond Hate is a dual POV dark romance set in a world where soulmates are real, and sometimes you’re given a second chance you didn’t know you needed. Expect high heat, high emotions, and a psychopath bent on revenge, who realizes the only thing he can’t live without is the one person he wants to kill. HEA guaranteed.

REVIEW: ⟫ I have been absolutely loving the stories in the ‘Beyond’ series and this one was no exception. I love all of the intricate details, the tiny signs that the previous soul is ‘hanging around’ that feed into the story – it’s delicious!

I felt so bad for London and despite the fact that Otto was insistent that all he wanted to do was hurt London, he was adamant that no one else was going to do it. The showing your love by murdering someone can go so wrong, but Otto did it perfectly – believe me, within the first two chapters you’ll already have a small list of people you want to send Otto after!

This was an excellent addition to the series and I very much enjoyed how absolutely off the wall Otto and London were together. Talk about jagged edges fitting perfectly – London realising and accepting this before Otto was not something I expected. This was a wild ride and I may have re-read a few parts just to make sure I’ve understood what happened. In the meantime, I’ll happily wait for whoever is our next couple!I have been absolutely loving the stories in the ‘Beyond’ series and this one was no exception. I love all of the intricate details, the tiny signs that the previous soul is ‘hanging around’ that feed into the story – it’s delicious!