November 2025 ⟫ Book Reviews Round Up

Posted on December 1, 2025 by Book_Endz

Every month, I post a round up of the books I have read and reviewed. They will mostly be M/M books, but occasionally something a little different slips in. These are the books I have read in November 2025.

Books are sourced through Gay Romance Reviews, Foreword PR, Indie Author Creative, Booksprout, BookSirens, Author ARCs and Kindle Unlimited but although some books are gifted, all views are my own honest opinion.

Breakneck Hockey by S Legend ⟫ Heartbreak Hockey Book #3 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Broken Bond by J.L. Cross ⟫ Claimed by Blood Book #1 ⟫ 1.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Disaster: The Biggest Fan by Nico Verce ⟫ 1/5 ⟫ BookSirens Arc

Forbidden Hockey by S Legend ⟫ Heartbreak Hockey #5 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Friendzone Hockey by S Legend ⟫ Heartbreak Hockey #4 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Heartbreak Hockey by S. Legend ⟫ Heartbreak Hockey #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Ice Dance Hockey by S Legend ⟫ Heartbreak Hockey Book #2 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Heat Haze by Alder Snow ⟫ 3.5/5 ⟫ Gay Romance Reviews

Velvet Chains by River Winters ⟫ Lockswell Boarding House Book #1 ⟫ 2.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All The Men Want Me by Jaclyn Osborn ⟫ Book #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

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

Posted on November 9, 2025 by Book_Endz

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 November 9, 2025 by Book_Endz

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 October 3, 2025 by Book_Endz

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!

September 2025 ⟫ Book Reviews Round Up

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Book_Endz

A Quiet Fire by N.J. Lysk ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Author provided copy

Bitter When He Begs by Avery Collins ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #2 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Body Count by L Eveland ⟫ Wayward Sons #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Confession by Rina Saint ⟫ Constantine Brothers #2 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

The Contract by Rina Saint ⟫ Dangerous Games #1⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Cruel When He Smiles by Avery Collins ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #3 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Flagrant Foul by Jesse H Reign ⟫ Totally Pucked #3 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Free Fall by Leta Blake ⟫ Free Fall #1 ⟫ /5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Full Body Hit – (Books #1 & #2) by Marina Vivancos ⟫ Alpha Omega Hockey #5 & #6 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Just This Once by Garrett Leigh ⟫ Men of Porth Luck #1 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Foreword PR

Out of a Fix by Mary Calmes ⟫ Torus Intercession Book #7 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Not Gentlemen by N.Y. Lysk ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Author Arc

Outsiders by October Arden ⟫ Inside Book #2 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Author Arc

Possession by Rina Saint ⟫ Constantine Brothers #1 ⟫ 5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Pretty When He Bleeds by Avery Collins ⟫ Sinners of Blackthorne U Book #1 ⟫ 4.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Red On His Lips by J Tomala ⟫ Blood on His Lips #1 ⟫ 3/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

Taste of Blood by A.J. Church ⟫ Cord & Asher #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ BookSirens

Tempting Frey by Roe Horvat ⟫ Bears of Beauville #2 ⟫ 3.5/5 ⟫ Kindle Unlimited

The Weight of Duty by N.Y. Lysk ⟫ 3.5/5 ⟫ Author ARC

Wilde’s End by Saxon James ⟫ The Wilde Men #1 ⟫ 4/5 ⟫ Foreword PR

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

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Book_Endz

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.

The Contract by Rina Saint (Dangerous Games #1)

Posted on September 22, 2025 by Book_Endz

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)

Posted on September 22, 2025 by Book_Endz

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.

Possession by Rina Saint (Constantine Brothers #2)

Posted on September 22, 2025 by Book_Endz

TITLE: ⟫ Possession
AUTHOR: ⟫ Rina Saint

SERIES: ⟫ Constantine Brothers #1
RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ I’m a beast pacing around my cage waiting for the next fight. It’s all I have, those brief moments of rage and destruction. It’s a sort of freedom. Then I go back into the cold, dark emptiness.

That’s why I don’t speak anymore. What’s the point? I stopped being human a long time ago. I’ve given up on anything but that cycle of violence and isolation—until they throw him into my cage. They expect me to kill him as soon as he gets me through my injuries. That’s what I usually do. People thrown in with me make so much noise with their begging that I have to kill them to shut them up. But Lucas is different. He’s quiet. Lost. He intrigues me.

So I don’t kill him. I claim him instead.

At first, my handlers are happy. They think he makes it easier to manage me. Control the beast by controlling its possession. Beasts are simple like that.

What they don’t realize is that he’s waking up the man I used to be—and that man is a hell of a lot more dangerous than the beast.

* Possession contains dark and potentially triggering content. A content list can be found in the ebook sample.

REVIEW: ⟫ I do enjoy a bit of the dark themes every now and then, so reading the description for this fascinated. Oh my! This was seriously dark – an underground fighting ring with no escape, a young man sold to pay off debts, the murderous beast he’s locked away with. But dang, I did not expect this to hit so hard.

My heart absolutely broke for Roman, especially when he began trying to speak to Lucas because he needed to communicate. He was trying so hard, so determined to protect his new possession. The way the two of them built a relationship in such extreme circumstances, the way that Lucas understood and accepted what Roman could afford to give him was awesome. I also loved the fact that ultimately, Lucas wasn’t a victim – he was strong enough to make some really tough choices and I appreciated the different sides to his character.

As soon as I finished this, I downloaded the next book in the series because I wanted more and I can see that I will be reading all that I can find of Rina Saint’s catalogue this week – looks like my TBR has a new author!

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

Posted on September 18, 2025 by Book_Endz

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!