Tag Archives: rating: 4

A Quiet Fire by N.J. Lysk

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TITLE: ⟫ A Quiet Fire
AUTHOR: ⟫ N J Lysk

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ What duty binds, only love may set free.

At thirty-three, Lord Valgar, Earl of Saran, is the last surviving water mage of noble blood. Forbidden from joining the war himself, his duty is preserve the magic by fathering children.

But after fifteen years of a loving but childless marriage, the council has run out of patience. They demand he take a second omega. Valgar refuses to betray his mate—so he makes a calculated an older omega, unlikely to bear a child.

But to Lord Quincy, the proposal he is pressured to accept is no mere formality. Still mourning the alpha he lost in battle, Quincy clings to the quiet life he’s built around his grief and his garden, his books, and his beloved animals. He’s not ready for another bond—and he harbours a secret that could unravel all of Valgar’s careful plans.

Can two reluctant husbands find common ground—and maybe even find that quiet fire known as hope?

“A Quiet Fire” is an arranged marriage romance novella featuring elements of dubcon, consensual polyamory, non-shifter omegaverse, feminisation and mpreg.

REVIEW: ⟫ Despite the subject matter, I actually found this book incredibly romantic. Quincy is an omega and as such, has very little say in what happens to him after the death of his Alpha. Valgar is an Alpha but because of his magic, he has very little say in what leads him into Quincy’s life. Without Mar, I’m not sure these two would have ever managed to find their way to each other, but this woman has such a huge heart and so much love, she paves the way for her husband to find love and happiness with someone who was meant to be her replacement. I loved the calm, kind way in which Mar communicated with both Val and Quincy, and yes, I cried a little towards the end when she finds more happiness than she ever expected – a reward for her being willing and able to help the two men get out of each other’s way. Even with the harsh realities of life for omegas in the society of the time, the author manages to make the reader aware of the inequalities and unfairness whilst also opening the door to a view to a love that is made bigger and stronger by the addition of a third person – a person that wasn’t wanted but ends up being very much needed. Really enjoyed this one!

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 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.

Body Count by L Eveland (Wayward Sons #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Body Count
AUTHOR: ⟫ L Eveland

SERIES: ⟫Wayward Sons #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Death is his business, and I live to serve.

Theo
Mortician River Laskin is a monster, a narcissistic sociopath with blood on his hands, but he’s also my savior.

When he rescues me from a human trafficking ring, the last thing on my mind is vengeance. I need to pull my life together and figure out how to survive in a world where I don’t exist. Without someone to tell me what to do, I’m lost. River is all I have to cling to, the only thing that makes sense in this terrifying new world.

But he and his family of murderous psychopaths have other plans, mafia connections, and murder on their minds.

River
I knew from the moment I saw him that Theo was mine. Mine to protect, mine to break, mine to put back together again.

My favorite toy.

I will use every resource at my disposal to find the men who hurt him and make them pay, whether he wants me to or not. It’s not up to him.

I’ll burn every bridge, turn over every stone, dig up every body until I get what I want.

And what I want now is vengeance for Theo. The Devil himself couldn’t stop me. I dare him to try.

Body Count is the first novel in the Wayward Sons series, a series standalone of dark MM romances that follows the Laskin brothers as they battle their inner demons and find love.

REVIEW: ⟫ More than anything else, this book reminded me of Onley James and her Necessary Evils series. Part of a made-family of psychopaths and sociopaths who take out the people who deserve to die, River is bored and looking for some entertainment when he comes across Theo. But this isn’t some casual meet and greet – River ends up buying Theo and it leads to the discovery of human trafficking going on beneath his family’s nose.

I enjoyed meeting the members of this surreal family – War might be my favourite although Shepherd is quite high up there – and the way in which they operated was fascinating. I loved the Greeks and the Russians working together, and found Izzy completely captured my imagination. The relationship between Theo and River was actually incredibly romantic – River had no idea how to deal with emotions and the fact he was willing to ask his family for help in expressing how he felt about Theo was so touching. The sex was off the charts hot and I found it engrossing. I’ve downloaded the next book in the series because I really want to read more of this couple and find out what happens with War wanting a family of his own.

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!

Outsiders by October Arden (Inside Book #2)

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TITLE: ⟫ Outsiders
AUTHOR: ⟫ October Arden

SERIES: ⟫ Inside Book #2
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ “To love them both, he has to stop being afraid of himself.”

After losing them both, Luke isn’t giving up. He refuses to be just another outsider—he wants to be part of the system, not just orbiting around it. Jaime and Alex need him. Even if Alex hates him. Especially if he does.
As Luke pushes deeper into their world, Alex fights him every step of the way. But even rivals can learn to trust. Even enemies can fall in love.

And in the middle is Jaime, still struggling to hold on while the two people who love him most finally see each other clearly.

A queer psychological slow-burn MM romance with enemies-to-lovers heat, mental illness recovery, and found family bonds that can’t be broken—even by trauma.

REVIEW: ⟫ I really wasn’t sure where things were going to go in part 2. I felt so bad for Luke – out of all three of them, he was the one who was used the most and it broke my heart because not only did he accept it, he expected it. There was a part of me that wanted him to pull away from Jaime and Alex, to find himself without them, but as the story progressed, I understood him so much better.

This book concentrates more on the relationship between Luke and Alex and it was utterly fascinating. Both of them have Jaime as their focus and yet they find ways to bond and learn about each other. Alex becomes far more open to the idea that Luke loves Jaime almost as much as he does and that opens his heart in unexpected ways. I read this in one sitting (so much for a good night’s sleep!) and it was well worth the bags under my eyes today. I am truly looking forward to the final instalment and finding out where the author takes us as well as this delightfully flawed but beautiful threesome. I received an ARC from the author.

Taste of Blood by A.J. Church (Cord & Asher Book #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Taste of Blood
AUTHOR: ⟫ A.J. Church

SERIES: ⟫ Cord & Asher Book #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Forever is a long time for a vampire.

I always thought Asher Winston was my forever.
That’s why cutting him out of my life was like cutting off a limb.
But it had to be done.
If I’d stayed, we would have killed each other.
For ten years I avoided him.
Going through the motions.
Empty and alone.
And then that chance meeting on the street.
Now I’m caught in his web again.
I know where this will lead, but I don’t have the strength to end it.
Because as much as I hate it, the only time I can breathe is when he’s near me.

REVIEW: ⟫ This is the first book by A.J. Church that I have read and the premise sounded fascinating. I would say that because Cord and Asher were lovers in the past, the author threw us straight into the meat of the story, with the romance/relationship playing out against the background of a new threat to the vampires of the Crimson Guild. It’s difficult to tell which people we are meant to be rooting for – Dante is an arrogant user, Cord is confusing in the way he pushes and pulls with Asher, and Asher – I can’t put my finger on it. I understand that he loves Cord and wants to be with him, but I don’t understand why he didn’t try to fix things over the ten years that they have been estranged.

There were some pretty heavy descriptions of torture and bloodshed above the whole vampire thing meant that I was taken by surprise a few times – normally, such things aren’t quite as graphic. I’m very glad I knew that this ended on a cliffhanger otherwise I would be seriously ticked off. I am looking forward to part two and hope that it fulfils the promise in this.

Possibly too much ‘filler’ in this book – sometimes it felt like things were very stalled in the investigations, but I would also say that it made it easy to appreciate Cord’s frustration with how things were going. The cliffhanger itself did it’s job – I definitely want to know what happens next! I received an ARC from BookSirens.

Wilde’s End by Saxon James (The Wilde Men #1)

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TITLE: ⟫ Wilde’s End
AUTHOR: ⟫ Saxon James

SERIES: ⟫ The Wilde Men #1
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Hudson

Give me the smallest reason to make a bad decision, and I’ll jump in with both feet. Case in point: thinking that drunkenly buying an abandoned town with my brothers is a good idea.
As builders, we plan to renovate and flip the town, maybe turn it into something worth seeing, but the longer we’re here, the more things feel … off.
It’s not until a bearded mountain man breaks into my room in the middle of the night and threatens for us to get out of his town that I realize Wilde’s End isn’t as abandoned as we were told.
But there’s nothing waiting for me in the life I left behind, and in making his demands, Wilde has accidentally tapped into my competitive side.
Terrible decisions? Me?
Wilde can bring it on.

Wilde

I escaped to Wilde’s End twenty years ago, and since then I’ve dedicated my life to the town and the people who live there. Because if I focus on others, I don’t have the time or energy to face everything I’ve been running from.
The Bellamy brothers coming to town is like three horsemen of the goddamn apocalypse. They leave destruction in their wake, and when the eldest, Hudson, ignores my very kind request to leave, it’s time to take things into my own hands. Protecting this town is all I know how to do.
But I’ve never faced someone like Hudson.
His stubbornness matches mine, and his attitude has an irritating way of worming under my skin. The more I push him, the harder he pushes back, until we’re locked in a game neither of us will walk away from.
With his smart mouth, bullheaded recklessness and those damn eyelashes I’m starting to question whether I can win this one.
But if I lose, this town isn’t the only thing on the line.

REVIEW: ⟫ I’m struggling a little with this review. At the beginning, I was devouring this book – Wilde was fascinating, as was Wilde’s End and the Bellamy brothers were entertaining. However, the relationship between Hudson and Wilde was occasionally more than verging on toxic and I struggled with it. There was a long period of time when I wasn’t sure if they even liked each other and I couldn’t see a good way for things to end and for them to reach something resembling a happily ever after.

However, I should have trusted Saxon James to pull out the win in the end. I really enjoyed Kennedy as a caring sibling, and the fact that he could lay some truth on Hudson whilst living his own truth was refreshing and just excellent in it’s execution. I am really interested in Kennedy and Ziggy which is apparently going to be the next book, and I would really like to know why Hartwell is the way he is! Ultimately, I enjoyed reading this one and feel that this could be a very worthwhile series. I received an ARC from Foreword PR.

Starting With Cake by October Arden

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TITLE: ⟫ Starting with Cake
AUTHOR: ⟫ October Arden
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ “I love you.”

The words hang in the air, as unsettling as the box of snack cakes shoved into Cain’s hands. Russel—the twitchy, socially oblivious office worker who speaks like an alien observing human customs—has never spoken to Cain before today. And Cain, a janitor with a body that betrays him—anxiety, IBS, and a heart still bruised by his ex—doesn’t know how to respond.

Rejecting Russel should be simple, but Russel doesn’t understand rejection.

The snack cakes become elaborate desserts. The awkward confessions grow more persistent, and when Cain’s apartment burns to the ground, leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back, Russel offers him a bed—temporarily.

Except Russel doesn’t do boundaries.

He cooks meals tailored to Cain’s stomach, remembers Gabby’s love of painting, and helps Angel with his math issues, all without being asked. He sees Cain—his pain, his fierce love for his found family—and cares without expectation.

But letting someone in means confronting the parts of himself he’s spent years locking away. And Russel’s love isn’t the kind you walk away from unscathed.

A hauntingly tender queer love story about the bodies we’re given, the families we choose, and the love that rewires us.

REVIEW: ⟫ The second book that I’ve read by October Arden this month, the way this story began was straight up crazy. I’m not gonna lie, I thought Russell was going to turn out to be some stalker, which to be fair, he kinda did. But Russell was one of the loveliest characters I’ve read. Honest, literal, caring and so-so in love with Cain, it would be really difficult to dislike him and I can well understand why Cain found himself falling in love.

There were aspects I didn’t like – the ex partner plot-line bugged the heck out of me – but the cast of characters was so engaging, different and entertaining that I really enjoyed this book. I’m adding a couple of more books by the author to my TBR and will keep an eye out for future stories. Recommended!

Beyond Hate by Lee McCormick (Beyond Book #3)

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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!

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!