Tag Archives: Rating: 4.5

Stubborn Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James

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TITLE: ⟫ Stubborn Puckboy
AUTHOR: ⟫ Eden Finley & Saxon James

SERIES: ⟫ Puckboys #9
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Colby

Once upon a time, playing for the NHL was my dream. Then Radimir Novicov skated circles around me and made it clear I’d never be good enough. He was smart, talented, and worst of all–sexy. Every closeted guy knows that you don’t hit on your teammate, even if his gaze lingers longer than it should.

All it took was one drunken close call before our friendship was in tatters, he was called up to the NHL, and I was sent for further conditioning.

Playing in the NHL was off the table, so coaching became my new dream.

And seventeen years later, I’m finally heading to the big time.

Video coach. Pro level. The only downside?

It’s for Novi’s team.

Novi

Radimir Novicov is not scared of anything. I am one of the best. Future Hall of Famer. There are two years left on my contract and I will end my career on the highest high anyone did see.

Then I will slink into the shadows where no one will hear of me again.

Because while I’m playing professionally, I cannot come out and be myself. Not with my family still in Russia.

The plan has been set since I first moved to America, and I only have two years left to wait. It should be easy to focus on hockey.

Then Colby Kessinger walks back into my life. The teammate with the lopsided smiles and cocky attitude–the one who made my heart want things it can’t have.

Now two years feels like a lifetime.

REVIEW: ⟫ I went into this one a little blind as Novi didn’t really make a huge impact on me in the previous books. Big mistake – huge! Novi is a fabulous character, full of humour, strength of character and love and reading about him and Colby fighting for their happily ever after was a fantastic experience, for which I gave up a night’s sleep as I only meant to read one chapter and then hours later, I finished reading!

The secrecy of the relationship – for both of the main leads – was handled extremely well. None of their reasons for the way they acted were frivolous, and acknowledging all of the dangers inherent in workplace relationship, along with the political aspects and potential for ruining lives and careers were all made clear. Which made it all the more beautiful when both Colby and Novi didn’t play games – their communication was open, honest and really good to read . I loved the background cast of characters (Novi’s sister is a definite favourite) and being together with entire Queer Collective was a joy. I almost died laughing when Colby and Novi attended one of the Collective’s parties, and it’s a really good thing that they have the fire department on speed dial – IYKYK!

Eden and Saxon have managed to keep this long running series on a tight leash, with no repetition of tropes, and up to date understanding of what is going on in the real world whilst also allowing us to escape into their hockey world. I am so pleased I grabbed the opportunity to read this and recommend it wholeheartedly – the world needs more puckboys!

I received an ARC from Foreword PR.

The Legend Next Door by Jesse H Reign (Totally Pucked #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ The Legend Next Door
AUTHOR: ⟫ Jesse H Reign

SERIES: ⟫Totally Pucked #2
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ I didn’t think hockey was the game for me…now I’m obsessed.

My new neighbor, Ben Stirling, is a beautiful, famous ex-player. A living NHL legend. A single dad with sad eyes and a smile I feel in my knees.

I’ve never met anyone like him. He’s what would you’d get if you squeezed masculinity through a sieve. He’s the grit. The pulp. The hard stuff that leaves a sweet taste in your mouth. On top of that, he’s kind and funny, and did I mention he’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on?

Obviously, he’s straight.

And obviously, that’s fine.

It’s not like I’m going to flirt with him. Or fall for him.

REVIEW: ⟫ Okay, so as soon as I saw that Jesse H Reign had a new book out, I bumped it up my TBR pile and I am so glad that I did. I was wondering how this was going to go, with a widower who has a young son and a younger man who seemed more than a little easy-going in terms of what he wanted from life.

However, I should have trusted in Jesse – and from the first page, I totally did! Ben just about broke my heart in the first few chapters – the pain, loss and anguish he was feeling came through so clearly that I was almost in tears. Luca was an absolute delight and he reminded me of my nieces and nephews at his age – it’s so nice when an author writes a child as a child rather than a young adult. The bond between Luca and Ben was incredibly touching and he was an amazing father.

Then we have Jeremiah – or Jelly as he is affectionately called. There isn’t a thought in this man’s head that he doesn’t spill out of his mouth, or worse. Jelly was absolutely delightful – from his self-pep talks, his affection for Luca, and his absolute adoration of Ben. The whole ‘biggest fan’ made me giggle far too often, and I loved when Jelly was forcing Moop to watch Hockey as a zealous new convert.

The bi-awakening was underplayed, which I appreciated – this wasn’t so much about Ben discovering that he liked men as well as women. It was more about him recovering from the loss of his wife, realising that he can find love again, and being open to whatever form that took. The two of them together were really beautiful – I really loved how Jelly encouraged Ben to talk about anything and everything – especially silly things. And the way that they reacted to each other – I’m actually thinking of a scene where they’re not even in the same house that was incredibly sexy and touching at the same time.

We had a small cameo with our duo from ‘Poetry on Ice’ which reminded me of just how much I loved reading them. But this book – this book was all about Ben, Jelly and Luca making a new ‘three person’ unit, and I am here for it. Big up supportive in laws who had no issue with Ben moving on, even with a man – and I look forward to the next in the series.

The Sin Eater by Onley James (The Watch #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ The Sin Eater
AUTHOR: ⟫ Onley James

SERIES: ⟫The Watch #2
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Waylon Boone is no stranger to danger. As the headmaster of the Watch, an elite school hidden in the desert where the wealthy send their psychopathic children to become the perfect covert operatives, he’s trained killers, spies, and manipulators. But none have ever tested his control quite like Payton Skinner—the most dangerous student to walk through the doors, and the one Boone thought he could tame.

Payton’s obsession with the older man is immediate and all-consuming. Boone may be his teacher, but Payton has his own lessons to impart—lessons in seduction, power, and the art of taming a heart long since closed off to the world. But when a twisted video scandal rocks the school, accusing a trusted handler of betrayal, Boone and Payton are thrust into a high-stakes game of lies and espionage. A hacker threatens to reveal dark secrets, both real and fabricated, and no one knows who to trust.

As the investigation deepens, so does the heat between them, and the closer they get to unraveling the mystery, the harder it is to deny their growing connection. In a place where deception is currency and control is everything, Boone and Payton will have to decide how far they’re willing to go for the truth—and for each other.

The Sin Eater is an action-packed, smoking hot, age gap romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features an exhausted, burnt-out assassin turned reluctant headmaster of psychopaths and an infuriating, calculating, psychopathic student who have absolutely no business being together but find themselves unable to resist forbidden fruit. As always, you can expect gratuitous violence, very dark humor, more blood than a slaughterhouse, and enough steamy moments to power a ship. This is book two in The Watch series. Each book follows a different couple.

REVIEW: ⟫ The Sin Eater and the Little Monster – man, these two were fun!! I adored the fact that Boone was absolutely head over heels and fighting it, whilst all of his staff members were basically laying bets on when he would give in!

Payton was fascinating – I loved the insight into his brain and how committed he was to Boone. He decided that Boone was the man for him and did everything to make sure it happened. I loved the vulnerability that Boone and Payton showed each other; Boone’s protectiveness made me sigh in longing, and the sex scenes between the two of them were wild!

I loved the underlying plot arc and am fascinated by what is happening at the school – not least because of all of the intrigue going on whilst trying to corral a group of psychopaths just sounds insane! An excellent addition to The Watch series and I can’t wait for more!

I received an ARC through the author’s Patreon.

The Price of Ice by N.J. Lysk

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TITLE: ⟫ The Price of Ice
AUTHOR: ⟫ N.J.Lysk
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Hockey is all Kallen has ever wanted, but as an omega, his role is to keep his hockey team together. His body is his team’s both on and off the ice. It’s a price he is willing to pay to play, but when he is finally accepted into a professional team, all his expectations of team as family are shattered.

He still wants the ice badly enough to stay, even knowing one day he will be asked to breed with his team to produce a new generation of players. But no matter how hard he tries; he cannot help but wish for something more… Something an omega in his position can’t ever have.

An alpha of his own.

He knows that if he opens his heart, he won’t be able to do what needs doing, but when offered kindness amidst the chaos and the cruelty, he might not be able to deny himself anymore.

This novel has dark themes and a happy ending.

REVIEW: ⟫ The warnings about the dark themes were no joke – from page one, a sense of unease and disquiet is very obvious and it grows as each chapter passes. What was fascinating was how Kallen justified and accepted things simply because he was expected to – he blamed himself for so many things that were most definitely not his fault, it was heartbreaking.

Quite a bit of the story was relatively slow-moving and in that time, the author explored themes of discrimination and prejudice, omegas discovering their power and found family with a deft hand and an interesting slant. It was a very interesting read and to some extent, the romance aspect of things took a backseat to the politics and aftermath of what Kallen suffered through. It’s given me quite a lot to think about and I very much enjoyed the way that things ‘ended’, with Levy and Kallen having what could be considered a relationship that was out of the ordinary but which worked for them.

A very thoughtful, affecting read with some good characterisations, some lovely relationships and a new slant on the whole alpha/omega/beta dynamics but I would say take heed of the trigger warnings.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Off Limits by Willow Dixon (Legacy Mechanics #4)

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TITLE: ⟫ Off Limits
AUTHOR: ⟫ Willow Dixon

SERIES: ⟫ Legacy Mechanics #4
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Asa

For eight years I’ve lived in the shadow of my golden child stepbrother. Dex is everything our parents want in a son, and I’m the weirdo who can’t seem to get his life together.

After getting renovicted from my apartment, I’m forced to ask Dex for help. He agrees to let me stay with him while I find a new place, but neither of us is happy about it. Then I accidentally discover that my perfect stepbrother has an online side gig, and I learn how lucrative it can be.

Working together is supposed to be a way to make some extra cash, but it’s impossible to keep things in the business zone when I start to realize that maybe Dex is just as misunderstood and lonely as me.

Dex
The only downside to moving home after college is that I can’t avoid my stepbrother anymore. Asa is one of the most aggravating people I’ve ever met, and he’s spent the last eight years letting me know exactly what he thinks of me.

After agreeing to let him stay with me so he doesn’t end up homeless, he accidentally finds out about my online job. No one else knows my secret, but instead of using it against me, he suggests we work together as a solution to his money problems and my desire to get him out of my apartment as quickly as possible.

I already know this is going to be messy, but I’m not prepared for how difficult it is to keep our arrangement impersonal. And the more I learn about my closed-off stepbrother, the more I realize that maybe we aren’t so different after all.

Asa and Dex’s story is an opposites attract stepbrother romance between a jock and a nerd who can’t keep things in the business zone. You can expect dislike to friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, found family, online spicy times, reluctant roommates, some snark, lots of heat, and all the feels as these two men realize that sometimes the person you need is someone you shouldn’t want. It is book 4 in my Legacy Mechanics series but can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW: ⟫ This book was so much more than I expected and I really, really enjoyed it. Asa is demisexual (or seems to be) and his only experience has been with the one-off with his stepbrother four years ago. His parents don’t care, his mother and stepfather use him as a babysitter and errand boy, and he absolutely detests his perfect stepbrother. Until he’s in a real bind and Dex comes through for him.

Dex gives the appearance of having everything, but it’s only now that he’s finished college and is living alone that he is becoming his true, authentic self. He can’t see his stepbrother made homeless, so allows Asa to move in without considering the consequences. When Asa catches him camming accidentally, it opens the way for the two of them to rediscover who the other is, realise that the hatred they felt for each other when they were younger was a result of the situation, and also realise that the one person meant for them might just be right in front of their eyes.

The camming was hot but it was actually the way that these two communicated, tried so hard for each other and how they became each other’s safe haven that really made this book for me. I quite possibly enjoyed this the most of the legacy mechanics series and I am looking forward to the author’s Silvercrest U series that they are currently working on

I received an ARC from Foreword PR.

Royal Crush by E.M.Lindsey

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TITLE: ⟫ Royal Crush
AUTHOR: ⟫ E.M.Lindsey
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ As an actor, there’s nothing more humbling than crawling my way back into the spotlight after a vicious spiral that nearly ended my career. But I’m determined to do it. Especially since the role of a lifetime was just dropped into my lap: the chance to play Camillo Soriano, the stone-faced, unflappable, second-born Prince.

This is my chance to make it, to prove to the world that I’m not the mess the media wants everyone to believe I am.

But things get complicated when the studio decides to hire a wheelchair consultant to ensure I’m doing the job right. And not just any consultant, but the Prince himself…

…and Camillo is not thrilled about the casting.

Now have a babysitter on set, and with Camillo’s standards, the infuriatingly gorgeous Prince isn’t making it easy on me.

The man is an absolute royal pain, but the more I get to know him, the more I realize how much we’re alike. It’s becoming increasingly obvious he’s the only person who truly understands me, and the longer we’re together, the more I start to believe in fate.

Royal Crush is an enemies to lovers, actor/prince standalone with a snarky wheelchair using prince, a bitter former child actor, secret dates, tons of snark and banter, the inglorious realities of doing spicy scenes for a camera, a secret romance and a swoony, steamy happily ever after.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was an absolute surprise to me and I commend E.M.Lindsey for what they have written. Camillo’s disability played a part in everything and was so realistic including the non-glamourous aspects of being a Prince in such a situation. Camillo and Aleric were brilliant together – from the time they met, there was an honesty to their interactions that was palpable. The chemistry between them was obvious but I really liked the fact that this story was about intimacy – the intimacy of seeing someone in a fragile, vulnerable position and loving them; the intimacy of recognising inner pain and helping that person feel seen; the intimacy of trusting that someone isn’t going to use your personal trauma against you. I read it in one sitting and felt refreshed by the ending – they chose each other and it was just incredibly special.

I received an ARC from GRR.

On The Edge by J.J. Mulder (SCU Hockey #3)

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TITLE: ⟫ On The Edge
AUTHOR: ⟫ J.J. Mulder

SERIES: ⟫ SCU Hockey #3
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Henri Vasel has perfected the art of people pleasing. He’s a good student, a fair hockey player, and he has a group of friends he’d do anything for. He’s happy. Or, rather, as happy as he can be when he has a class with the one person he can’t seem to please at South Carolina University.

Atlas Kaiser hates a lot of things, but right now he hates Henri Vasel the most. He doesn’t want to have to stare at his perfect face, or listen to his adorable German accent. He wants to be left alone. Unfortunately, they’re partnered together for the semester so he’ll have to grit his teeth and try to make it work.

Animosity morphs into a tentative friendship, which eventually leads to more. But while Atlas doesn’t trust their budding relationship, Henri wants more.

REVIEW: ⟫ I sat after finishing this book to give myself time to let it settle. It wasn’t your typical mm romance, although I have to say Henri and Atlas are actually incredibly romantic! Henri could be classed as asexual, although he never actually labels himself that way. He simply hasn’t ever met anyone that interested him sexually before Atlas. Henri is an absolute sweetheart – very hard on himself, caring about others and generally just one of the good guys.

I wasn’t sure about Atlas initially – he was very prickly, judgemental and occasionally downright mean and I wondered if his grumpy was going to be too much for Henri’s sunshine. As I read more and realised what Atlas had been through, I began to understand his reluctance to let anyone in. I really appreciated how gentle, understanding and loving he was with Henri – not only was there constant informed consent, but there was an understanding on both sides that they could stop anything that was happening at any time. It was beautiful because it was just who they were to each other rather than something special.

The “misunderstanding” between the two of them was painful but it was a good kind of painful, inasmuch as it made Atlas realise that pulling away from Henri to avoid getting hurt wasn’t going to work because it was too painful being away from Henri. I loved the interactions with Atlas’s brothers, and Nate was the MVP of this with his way of ignoring Atlas and his grumpy personality and being the friend that we all need at some point in our lives.

I loved catching up with Carter, Zeke, Max and Luke as well as news about the coach and others. This was a really lovely, relaxing read – sometimes a bit sad, but ultimately hopeful in that the main characters found the right person for them, in spite of their character flaws. I can’t comment on whether or not it was an accurate representation of asexuality, but I thought it was quite eye-opening in how Henri felt about the sexual side of things – there were times when he just wanted to hold Atlas and sleep, and other times when they explored the sexual side of things, but it definitely took a back-seat to the character development and their relationship.

Ultimately, I very much enjoyed reading this story and felt a sense of satisfaction at the end with where they were and how they were living their lives. The SCU Hockey series has been quite the delight to read and I look forward to more from this author.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Royal Scoundrel by Saxon James (Frat Wars Novella)

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TITLE: ⟫ Royal Scoundrel
AUTHOR: ⟫ Saxon James

SERIES: ⟫A Frat Wars Novella
RATING: ⟫4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Royal Scoundrel is the prequel novella between Charles’s dads. Even though it takes place twenty years before the Frat Wars books, it’s best enjoyed last.

DASH

Archibald Levine the third is a pain in my ass. Rich, cocky and the closest thing to a prince that our school has.
I hate everything about his entitled attitude and the stupid Kappa crown he wears.
I also hate the gigantic crush I have on the guy.
One night, backed up by the courage of tequila, my mouth gets away from me and I offer him the one thing he can’t stop thinking about.
Me.
On my knees.
Because Archibald Levine also has a secret, and one kiss between us seals his fate.
The fling between us can never go anywhere, not with his powerful and homophobic father, but we don’t let it stop us from indulging at every opportunity that we get.
I also don’t let it stop me from falling stupidly in love with the guy.
He’s always made it clear he can never come out and I know we’re destined for destruction.
After all, happily ever after doesn’t exist between a prince and a scoundrel.

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh these two were a lot of fun! I enjoyed this trip to the past and can only admire Archibald for having the strength to follow through on the things he ultimately wanted. Dash was funny, sexy and absolutely the right person for Archie and I loved their banter, the way they treated each other and more than anything, the understanding they displayed towards each other.

This was very romantic, funny and a joy to read!

George’s Big Day by Mary Calmes (With George #3)

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TITLE: ⟫ George’s Big Day
AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ With George #3
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ George Hunt wants to get married. The fact that he does is utterly amazing and a huge leap of faith for a man who’s always been certain that happily ever afters only happen in fairy tales. The thing is, though, ever since Christmas, when Dr. Kurt Butler, the man he loves, gave him a ring, he’s changed his mind about what’s possible. But between deployments and venues that have to be booked years in advance, matrimonial bliss seems persistently out of reach. Fortunately, George’s friends come through, offering the perfect setting.

Of course, when your life is full of heroes, there are always villains looking to even the score. When the day of the nuptials conflicts with murderous agendas, the only thing that really matters is being married at the end of the day. If George can keep his eye on the prize and everyone does what they do best, it might just all work out.

REVIEW: ⟫ If you are part of Mary Calmes’ monthly newsletter, then George will be very familiar to you – he’s Hannah Kage’s bodyguard and an important part of Jory and Sam Kage’s network from the Matter of Time series. That being said, George is a fabulous man in his own right – he’s a natural born protector who has somehow found his other half in Kurt.

This third novella is George finally getting married, despite what life is determined to throw at him in terms of cartel assassins, his friends bringing trouble down on his head, and the normal shenanigans that Hannah always gets herself involved in.

I love reading these stories by Mary Calmes because they are familiar, favourite characters by now and it allows me to see how some of my old favourites are doing whilst building on the entire universe that these characters inhabit. George is such a lovely man, so sexy, so caring and just utterly right for Kurt – it was a delight to attend their wedding, even if it brought with it the Vault, various assassins and the Marshals service along with it!

A typical Mary Calmes book, it leaves you with a warm, happy feeling when you’ve finished reading it and wishing for so much more in terms of words – this is a world I could happily inhabit forever!

Possessive Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James (Puckboys Book #8)

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TITLE: ⟫ Possessive Puckboy
AUTHOR: ⟫ Eden Finley & Saxon James
SERIES: ⟫ Puckboys Book #8
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB:⟫ Connor

Finding out those closest to me don’t see me as the great guy I think I am not only kicks me in the gut, it makes me question everything.

Until that happened, I didn’t think I had many regrets in my life. Now, I have nothing but regrets. And when my NHL team is bought out, and the new owner makes his presence known, my existential crisis kicks up a notch. Because he might be my biggest regret of all.

Parker Duchene.

I made his life a living hell in high school, and now he’s inserting himself into my career to repay the favor.

With everything in my personal life already on the line, I can’t risk hockey too. I need to figure out a way to play nice with the new owner.

Parker

I bought Colorado’s NHL team to honor my late father. I did. Only reason.

Emotionally playing with one of my many high school tormentors is a nice bonus though.

Connor Kikishkin may be the one who made me the target for years of name-calling, but I’ve always wondered if my hatred for him bordered too much on the obsessive side to truly be classified as hate.

Infatuation is probably the right word for it.

Now his whole life is in my hands, and I can’t wait to see him beg for my mercy. Seeing Mr. Popular find his humility will definitely ease the grief from losing my dad … right? Because right now, that’s all I have, and I need to hold on to it so I don’t crumble.

REVIEW: ⟫ First of all I would like to say my mental image of Nish is that he is the cutest Kiskishkin with his daddy in second place. Then I would admit that I binge read this in one go – I had forgotten just how easy it is to fall into the world created by these authors.

When I read East’s book, I was very much on his side with the Connor situation – from his perspective, his brother was completely out of control with his behaviour and utterly unreasonable. Reading this story gave me a completely different viewpoint of Connor and I felt so strongly for him. It was drummed into his head from a very early age what was expected of him, with little in the way of understanding just what that was doing to him.

The subject of bullying was handled very well, with a clear-cut understanding that it’s not acceptable to stand back and allow it to happen and think that you’re a good guy because you didn’t take part. Parker’s pain from his past and his bereavement bled through the page and it seemed like he just needed a really good cuddle.

Which is where Connor did his stellar best. These two together were cheek-squeezing levels of cute, from the pet search, to becoming friends, to how hot they were for each other but the intimacy and closeness of cuddling was also a big thing for them both.

I loved this book – so very much – and it has joined the ranks of the Puckboys quite high. I also fell more than a little in love with Novi but that’s obviously for a future date! A Stanley Cup winner of a book – pleased to have read it!

I received an ARC from Foreword PR.