Tag Archives: Rating: 3.5

Omega Captive of the Golden Dragon by Wendy Rathbone (Alpha Dragons #3)

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TITLE: ⟫ Omega Captive of the Golden Dragon
AUTHOR: ⟫ Wendy Rathbone

SERIES: ⟫ Alpha Dragons #3
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ I’m a set-omega and I’ve been sold by my wolf pack to the dragons as a breeder.

My name is Caylen. I’m a wolf shifter whose inner beast is missing. This means I cannot shift. As a set-omega, my pack can’t scent me and I’m officially a non-member. Worse, I have lost all rights and can be sold to the highest bidder.

Dragons are wealthy but omega-poor. To keep their population stable, they have become the biggest set-omega importers and pay the most for breeders.

My fate is in the hands of strangers. I’m afraid but refuse to show it.

On the auction block, someone bids for me with pure gold amid gasps and wonder. What does that even mean? What will happen to me?

MM romance, shifter, dragons, omegaverse, mpreg, first time, size difference, past trauma, rescue, HEA.

Note: This is book three of the Alpha Dragon series but is a standalone read.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was an interesting read based on the premise – a ‘set’ omega is one that cannot or does not have an inner beast. When Caylen presents as such, he knows that he will be sold from his pack and pre-empts the action of his parents.

He is bought at auction and transported to a place of utter isolation to live with an Alpha Dragon who is not only damaged, but wants nothing to do with him. The way in which both Varik and Caylen have suffered was pretty heart-wrenching. Varik in particular has been treated abominably by the people he should have been able to trust with his life and obviously is struggling with paranoia and fear. I did enjoy the relationship that built between the two of them – sleeping in front of the fire sounded so relaxing and seemed to be completely what they needed to let their guards down and see how alike they were. I really enjoyed the relationship between Variksan and Caylen – the respect between them, their desire for an honest connection was a pleasure to read.

I did feel like the second half of the story was rushed – from the time they committed to each other, it felt a bit like a summary of their life rather than reading their story. It’s hard to describe any of this without spoilers and the situation they were in was pretty unique, so I was really wondering just how they were going to reach some kind of happily ever after and ‘normal’ life. The writing style was very easy to get into and the story was well told in general – just a little light at the end.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Cream by Roe Horvat

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TITLE: ⟫ Cream
AUTHOR: ⟫ Roe Horvat
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Morton

For years, I’ve been hopelessly in love with an omega I’m not allowed to touch. I did what I could to purge my young assistant from my heart, except for the one thing which might have worked—firing him. Instead, I drown myself in work and meaningless hookups. Then one day, he casually mentions he’s no longer engaged, and my world is upside down. My Jamie is single, and I have four days alone with him in a confined space.

Jamie

My boss swore off flying, so when he has a conference on the West Coast, we’re taking a cross-country train instead. The comfy ride isn’t a hassle—until my newly diagnosed hormonal imbalance flares up, and with it, my suppressed crush on my boss. I’m lactating like it’s a competition, my libido bouncing all over the compact train car, and suddenly, Morton Hartley is the sexiest man on Earth. What if I go into heat stuck on a night train in the middle of nowhere?

Cream is an MM omegaverse romance featuring a sudden heat and mpreg. HEA.

REVIEW: ⟫ I enjoy reading Roe Horvat for so many different reasons. Many of their stories have such an emotional edge that they bring me to tears, whereas others are definitely more aimed towards the physical rather than emotional side of things. This one was mainly physical – Morton might be in love with Jamie, but this book is page after page of how they affect each other physically! It wasn’t so much insta-love as they had known each other for a while, but a surprise heat whilst trapped together brings them closer than either of them could ever have dreamed of.

As always, Horvat is excellent at writing these scenes – they are visceral, entertaining and sexy as all hell! If you are looking for a falling in love story with more plot, this is not the book for you and that’s not a bad thing. Different strokes for different folks and periods of time. This felt very short but was entertaining and the writing was, as always, engaging.

The Beast’s Broken Angel by Greyson Vale

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TITLE: ⟫ The Beast’s Broken Angel
AUTHOR: ⟫ Greyson Vale
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ He was meant to save lives. Instead, he signed away his own.

Dr. Noah Hastings is a brilliant trauma specialist with a spotless reputation and a past he doesn’t speak of. When his sister’s life hangs in the balance, he makes a deal with the city’s most dangerous man—a decision that drags him into a world of blood-soaked secrets, brutal power, and a beast with a scarred face and colder heart.

Adrian Calloway rules London’s underworld from the shadows, ruthless and untouchable. But the moment Noah steps into his life, everything tilts. Because Noah doesn’t flinch at Adrian’s monsters. He sees them. Names them. And worse—he stays.

What begins as a transaction spirals into obsession, betrayal, and the kind of love that ruins men.

But love doesn’t cleanse the blood. It only stains you deeper.

REVIEW: ⟫ I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book having finished it, and to be honest I’m still not sure.

There were definitely aspects that I found fascinating. Adrian was an interesting character, especially with how we are introduced to him. It was absolutely horrific what he witnessed as a child and the actions behind it were abhorrent and yet really and truly fascinating.

Noah I found harder to get a grasp on. I didn’t quite understand his back story with regard to his parents, but his devotion to Isabelle was beautiful and he was an interesting character. I struggled slightly with his acceptance of the things that Adrian did and this could have been explored deeper.

Where I really struggled was with how Adrian treated Viktor. For some reason, it just didn’t sit right with me – I actually am still not sure whether it was based on desire, a test of loyalty or just a really messed up view of people and things. I think that this did affect my feelings towards the book. The sex scenes were hot, with some very surprising aspects to them that I hadn’t expected. The plot was okay but the ‘bad’ guy was kinda obvious from the very beginning. I also felt that some of Adrian’s actions didn’t make sense considering what he knew or at least suspected.

The writing was good, the story was interesting and the characters were a little polarising (which meant I didn’t get bored) so I’m probably going to be thinking of this one for a while, trying to figure out how I actually feel!

I received an ARC from Booksprout.

Fitch by N.R. Walker (Wylde Street Boys Book #2)

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Fitch – N.R. Walker

TITLE: ⟫ Fitch
AUTHOR: ⟫ N.R. Walker

SERIES: ⟫ Wylde Street Boys #2
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Dominic Lowing knows stress. He lost his father to a stress-fuelled heart attack, and his own fast-paced career as a lawyer has done little to help. But he knows which coping mechanisms work for him: diet and exercise, of course. And a very active particular sex life.

Fitch Lamont has been working his corner on Wylde Street for two years. Not exactly the direction he saw his life going, but he’s a glass-half-full kind of guy. He has a roof over his head, enough food to eat—sometimes—and two best friends that make it all worthwhile.

When Dominic encounters a rent boy who ticks all his boxes, he decides to make it a regular encounter. But then their arrangement, their personal lives—and feelings—collide in unexpected ways.

Fitch found more than a client in Dominic; he found safe arms and a kind heart. And maybe, if he could let his guard down long enough, he might realise he found his future too.

REVIEW: ⟫ Having read book one in the trilogy, I was interested in Fitch and his relationship with Dominic so I was looking forward to reading this. However, there were a number of things that I didn’t enjoy in this story – the sex was on more than one occasion painful for Fitch but he ‘pushed through it’ for Dominic because he wanted to please him. This bothered me because it wasn’t part of their Daddy/Boy dynamic and seemed borderline abusive to me. I understand that Dominic was ‘overcome’ by desire but it became a pattern that bothered me.

This was very much a retelling of the first book but from Fitch and Dominic’s perspective, which left me feeling a lot like I’d already read all of this and not feeling their connection/relationship. I am very much interested in Kynan which is book three so I will finish the trilogy but I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first.

One Honeymoon, Two Hockey Bros, Three Little Words by Oslo Fox

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TITLE: ⟫ One Honeymoon, Two Hockey Bros, Three Little Words
AUTHOR: ⟫ Oslo Fox
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫On his Hawaiian honeymoon, a jilted groom wakes up in the arms of his best man.

Ethan Lavallee’s life revolves around two things: hockey and hockey.

When his fiancée leaves him at the altar, his best bro and D-partner, Jean-Luc Bergstrom, whisks him away on what should have been his honeymoon.

Their easy friendship has always been the one relationship he could count on, but suddenly, sharing a bed in a romantic Hawaiian villa has Ethan questioning everything he thought he knew about himself.

As his feelings for Jean-Luc evolve from friendship to something more, Ethan must decide if he’s brave enough to risk their partnership on and off the ice for a chance at real love.

A steamy gay m/m friends-to-lovers dual POV romance novel featuring a double bi-awakening and a Hawaiian honeymoon with only one bed.

REVIEW: ⟫ Talk about oblivious! Ethan didn’t seem to have any idea whatsoever that he was basically married to Jean-Luc – he simply enjoyed doing whatever his D-man partner told him to do! Jean-Luc was a little aggravating – his flirtatious nature was fine, but he lost it when he thought Ethan was doing the same. The lack of communication between the two of them was comical although occasionally irritating – they both made decisions for each other based on assumptions that would have been so easy to sort out. I wasn’t expecting the sub/dom aspect to things, although it was nicely done and fit with the two characters. This was a fun read, albeit occasionally irritating with the miscommuncation, and I enjoyed it.

I received an ARC from Netgalley.

The Other Half of Me by Aiden Wilde (Straight Friends Fall in Love #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ The Other Half of Me
AUTHOR: ⟫ Aiden Wilde

SERIES: ⟫Straight Friends Fall in Love #1
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ MATTY

We hadn’t spoken for years. Then, out of the blue, Chad messages me. He’s getting divorced. He needs to get away.

Did I want to go camping with him again, like we did when we were young? Is he forgetting what happened between us before, why we stopped speaking in the first place?

CHAD

People think I am the straightest of straight guys, the bro-est of the bros.

Kara wanting to divorce me wrecked my heart. I just need to get away, two old friends, the sun on our skin, hiking, fishing, swimming in the river.

But when he reminded me of what happened between us before, I felt new things.

He was always the half other of me, but can he make me whole?

Sometimes, a love comes along that will make you change how the world sees you, and how you see yourself.

THE OTHER HALF OF ME is a steamy, high-quality MM gay romance with a theme of straight guys secretly falling in love, and old friends becoming lovers, with a straight-to-gay / gay-for-you trope.

If you love sexy but emotionally satisfying journeys of romantic self-discovery (some angst), as well as beautiful writing and all the classic romance beats with a happy-ever-after ending (HEA), then this novel is for you.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a quick, easy read – I haven’t read anything else by the author that I can remember so I went into it with no preconceptions. I must admit, I didn’t like Chad – I didn’t like the fact that he only reached out to Matty because he was getting divorced; I didn’t like the whole frat-boy jock thing that he had going on, and he came across as really conceited, even when he was being self-deprecating. Matty, on the other hand, came across as more than a little beaten down by life – being scared of his sexual orientation during his formative years meant that he wasn’t sure who he was apart from being Dylan’s father. I felt that he was possibly too easy going – Chad basically just asked for anything and Matty gave it over.

Matty’s mother was the ‘bad’ guy with her attitude towards homosexuality and, although she redeemed herself slightly with her love for Dylan, she wasn’t a character I enjoyed reading. I think that I could quite enjoy reading more of this series – I like the gay-for-you trope when it’s handled well so I will look out for more by this author.

I received an ARC from BookSirens.

Pucked Up by Frankie Abraham (A Dark MM Hockey Romance)

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TITLE: ⟫ Pucked Up
AUTHOR: ⟫ Frankie Abraham
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ A romance about men who don’t play fair and the game that changes everything.

I shattered his collarbone in front of twenty thousand screaming fans.
One reckless hit. One sickening crunch. One choice I’ll never take back.
I thought I’d buried my hockey career—and myself—in the woods.
But now he’s standing on my porch.
Noah Langley, the rookie I destroyed.
He says he wants the truth, but I see it in his eyes. The way he watches my hands. The way he leans closer when he thinks I won’t notice. He doesn’t want closure. And he doesn’t want revenge.
He wants pain.
He wants me.
And God help us both, I want him too—wrecked and ruined.


REVIEW: ⟫ This was a very interesting style of writing that I think could be a little like marmite – you’re either going to love it or hate it. I found it difficult to get into at first – there was a lot of chopping wood and internal dialogue, as well as what felt like a lot of symbolic conversations. My biggest issue was not feeling anything for the two main character – I think the desire to make this dark meant that too much was left unsaid and I couldn’t see how they were attracted to each other, let alone how they fell in love.

I don’t think it helps that the original blurb that I read for this was different/incorrect – it meant that I went into the story expecting one set-up and got another. The writing is coherent, can be evocative and the story is well constructed but it didn’t have the coherence I needed and the darkness I expected barely materialised. I will look out for more from Frankie Abraham and am glad that I gave this a try.

I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews.

Three Times as Dirty by Sara Hurst – Part One (A Holt Family Novel)

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TITLE: ⟫ Three Times as Dirty (Part 1)
AUTHOR: ⟫ Sara Hurst

SERIES: ⟫A Holt Family Novel
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ One Marine. One Bodyguard. One Top too many.

A night at the club and a hook up before getting stuck on a ship in the middle of the Pacific with a few thousand sailors and Marines. That was all I’d had planned.

But…

Then I caught sight of Declan Holt from across the crowded club, and I had to have him.

He was smart and sassy and so, so sexy. We didn’t waste any time getting to know one another in a dark corner, but one taste wasn’t enough. Back at my place, I discovered we were more alike than I thought.

Aren’t opposites supposed to attract? At least that’s what I’ve always heard.

Now, here I am embarking on—God, I can’t believe I’m saying this—a relationship, thanks to a drunken night in Vegas, with my sexual twin in some aspects and my exact opposite in others.

What could possibly go wrong?

** Hayden & Declan’s story continues in Three Times as Dirty: Part Two. You will need to read Part Two for their HEA which will be found once they meet Marcie. **

REVIEW: ⟫ Having read the blurb, I was aware that this wasn’t a complete story – the author made it absolutely clear that the third member of this triad wouldn’t appear until the second book, so there was no surprise there. I read this as a mm romance, with a view to things opening up.

The relationship between the two men started from a very hot one night stand, and I enjoyed their interactions, the way that they opened up to each other and the way that they handled things initially – two tops meeting was bound to cause a clash and I loved how they were together. I liked how welcoming the Holt family were to Hayden and the fact that they were encouraging Declan to be honest – it was very much appreciated that they didn’t go the whole ‘what if he’s a gold-digger’ route.

However, the cliffhanger made me feel so mad! The secret that Declan was keeping was ridiculous and utterly obvious to anyone with half a braincell. I seriously don’t understand how Hayden didn’t figure it out – maybe not the full figures but the basic concept should have occurred to him. I also didn’t understand why he was giving Mara so much power – he knows how toxic she is and what an evil person and yet, he still allowed her that success. It was truly mind-boggling and it made the ending so much more irritating.

I will probably get part two to find out how they fix things between them as well as introducing a third, but given the choice now I would probably wait until both parts were available before reading.

I received an ARC through Indie Author Creative.

Lustful Nights by Ashley Rayne (Peaches Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Lustful Nights
AUTHOR: ⟫ Ashley Rayne

SERIES: ⟫Peaches Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Lennox

A string of bad boyfriends has me questioning my taste in men.

They’re either jealous of my job as a dancer at a strip club, or they use it as an opportunity to try hooking up with my friends. It also doesn’t help that my big brother is the definition of overprotective, meaning nobody is ever good enough for me.

When I notice his best friend—his very straight, very good-looking best friend—at the club where I work more than once, I wonder if maybe he’s not as out of my reach as I once thought he was.

Jensen

My life is pretty simple, which is totally fine with me. I work remotely, spend time with my best friend, Nick, and ride my motorcycle. I’ve had a few girlfriends here and there, but nobody recently, and definitely not anyone serious.

When my boss has his bachelor party at a local all-male strip club, I know I have to make an appearance. Then I notice a fit body attached to a familiar face. I wasn’t expecting to see my best friend’s brother dancing onstage, but I also wasn’t prepared for the feelings watching him perform brought out in me. But even if I wanted to explore anything with Lennox, am I willing to risk my years-long friendship for him?
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Lustful Nights is the first book in the Peaches series about a group of friends who work at a strip club. You can expect a confident bi-awakening, a virgin MC falling for his brother’s best friend, and game nights with strip poker.

REVIEW: ⟫ I don’t think I’ve read very much from this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Lennox is very confident – he’s come into his own now that he’s dancing at a strip club, following his calling educationally and just generally feeling like his own person. Now if only he could find love!

Jensen comes across as a very simple character – he follows his heart and how he feels, and falling for Lennox requires only a mild shift in his attitude as he’s only ever been with women before. I liked the fact that these two communicated so well with each other – they asked questions in a fun way of getting to know each other, and even when they were nervous they didn’t shy away from the difficult conversations.

The conflict between them and Nick was handled relatively respectfully – I did find Nick to be more than a little overbearing, although I understand that Lennox’s taste in the past has been less than stellar. There were quite a few sex scenes, which (for me) didn’t actually add much to the story. I did like the fact that both Lennox andd Jensen were switches and so there wasn’t as much emphasis on Lennon losing his virginity as to be obnoxious. This was a nice example of falling for your brother’s best friend and I quite enjoyed reading it.

I received an ARC through Indie Author Creative.

Ronan by G. Eilsel

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TITLE: ⟫ Ronan
AUTHOR: ⟫ G. Eilsel

SERIES: ⟫ Mate’s Mark #1
RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB:⟫ It’s been almost a century since the veil fell and monsters invaded the world. We didn’t give the humans an opportunity to retaliate as we charged in and took over, and I was at the head of the front lines with my sword in hand. A perfect soldier, fighting the battles that ultimately put my people in charge of this planet. Half of humanity was slaughtered, and in the decades since the invasion, things have only gotten worse. Tensions between the rebel humans and monsters grew as the climate changed, and temperatures rose as resources dwindled. The sun scorched away plants and trees, leaving behind a husk of a planet where everyone fights for survival.

The Fates were furious at our violence, and now we’re trapped inside the hell we created.

We’ve all heard tale of the Mate’s Mark, and how we’re destined to find our fated mate. One human, one monster – foretold to be the cure to this cursed world and repair the damage that has been done. What was once the cause of curiosity and intrigue has turned into nothing more than a mockery. Decades have passed, and not a single pair of fated mates had been found.

Until now.

Until me.

Until the night I pull off my armor and find the mark staring back.

Author’s note: Ronan is a First Person Dual POV MM Monster Romance series with explicit content intended for readers 18+. It is the first in a series that will have an overarching storyline carrying between books. While this series ends with a guaranteed HEA, individual books end on more of a HFN basis. The feature couple’s story will be resolved, though there will be some unanswered questions and mild cliffhangers that lead into the next in the series.

REVIEW: ⟫ This is the first book by this author that I have read and in some respects, I was pleasantly surprised. The writing was engaging, with a clear tone for each of the protagonists and an interesting premise. To a certain extent, I found the storyline very similar to the Monstrous series by Lily Mayne, with monsters and humans finding love with each other, and the mate mark as an added bonus.

I did feel like the story could have been shorter – some of it felt a little repetitious and labouring of the point – but the length did allow the relationship between Cameron and Ronan to grow at a steady rather than speedy pace. The intimacy between the two of them built gradually but was very nicely handled, especially in terms of the physical differences between the species.

The over-arching plot of mated pairs was nicely introduced and it was definitely interesting finding out that Ronan and Cameron were not the first and only. The supporting characters were entertaining and I can well imagine at least one new pairing that could sprout from this book. Overall, I enjoyed reading it and will probably keep an eye out for the next in the series. As I say, perhaps a little tightening up of the storyline could have helped but that’s a relatively small point in an overall good experience.

I received an ARC from BookSirens.