Goblin Twins by Kit Barrie

 

Title: ⟫ The Goblin Twins

Author:= ⟫ Kit Barrie

Rating: ⟫ 3/5

Blurb: ⟫ What do you do when you have nothing to give and everything to lose?

Twin goblin princes Shi’chen and A’bbni Er-Ha’sen did not ever plan to take the Emperor’s throne. Older twin Shi’chen is a military prodigy, and younger twin A’bbni is studying to be a physician. But when their father attempts and fails to overthrow their cousin, the murderous crown prince, the brothers are accused of taking part in a rebellion they know nothing about.

Forced to flee for their lives, the twins find that not everything is what it seems in the goblin empire of Hanenea’a. With the help of only a half-elf sailor and a handful of nobles, the brothers must confront the Emperor and his supporters, risking everyone they love for one chance to save it all.

The Goblin Twins is a debut m/m non-magic fantasy novel with romance from Kit Barrie.

This is the first book of The Goblin Twins duology, and the first of a collection of stories set in the lands of Hanenea’a and Kendarin. It has all the angst but does have a Happy For Now ending with no cliff-hanger. It does not contain twincest.

Please mind the author’s note on the first page, as this book contains sensitive material and is also not intended for children. Additional information can be found on kitbarrie.com. Reader discretion is advised.

Review: ⟫ I’m not sure how to review this book. The world-building was brilliant – it was easy to picture things in your mind due to the detailed descriptions of the history and surroundings. The characters were fully fleshed out, with the villains being suitably villainous, and in the case of the cousin, slightly insane.

The aftermath of the assault was handled sensitively and with thoughtfulness, with it not being brushed aside but an obviously painful issue for those involved. The fight to regain control of the kingdom was well described and very understandable, with lines clearly drawn between what was happening and what was desired.

The friendships were solid and well-written; all of the behind-the-scenes machinations were clearly set out so that it was possible for the reader to understand what was being fought for. The actual fighting scenes were well written, with the divided loyalties made understandable and clear.

Unfortunately, for me, the romance seemed a bit superficial and I couldn’t understand just why or how A’bbni and Lai fell in love. The friendship between Lai and Shi’chen made more sense to me, with the romance feeling a little tacked on. I didn’t actually enjoy reading the book because everything felt very much like it was the build-up to the next story – most of the action felt like it happened towards the end of the book and was perhaps a little rushed, but at the same time I felt like things were very drawn out.

I think that this is something that a lot of people will enjoy – the depth of the story, the characters and the world building were very well done. It just wasn’t for me. I was surprised to discover that this was a first novel – it was very well written in that case, and I would think that the author will be very well received.

I received an ARC from GRR. 

Crimson Halo by Daniel May

Title: ⟫ Crimson Halo

Author: ⟫ Daniel May

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ When Seth walks into Drew's painting studio to kill him, Drew mistakes the vampire for someone finally answering his ad: 'ISO male figure model, comfortable working nude, think Michelangelo.'

The misunderstanding is far too hilarious for the infinitely bored Seth to pass up.

He agrees to pose for a series of portraits, but there's a snag; as a vampire sovereign, Seth needs to make a compelling excuse to his subjects for why he's spared the human's life.

Telling them he's claimed the artist as his chosen mate seems to do the trick.

When the excuse begins to feel more like the truth, Seth is unsettled by the development of feelings alien to his millennia on earth... and even more unsettled by the revelation that he is not the only dark hunter who has taken an interest in Drew.

Crimson Halo is a standalone MM paranormal vampire romance with thriller elements.

Review: ⟫ This was an interesting premise and I actually enjoyed it far more than I expected. Seth is suffering from ennui which is not surprising since he’s the oldest thing around. He is surrounded by those he considers to be irritants and due to the incompetence of one of his subjects, is forced to go out to handle the potential mess.

Which is where he meets Drew.

Drew is suffering from various mental issues and is completely unaware of what he has inadvertently stepped into. All he knows is that he is utterly fascinated by Seth and is desperate to capture him on paper.

The love story between the two of them is fascinating, amusing and full of inadvertent misunderstandings that I was quite enraptured and longing to see just how it was going to resolve itself.

In the process, Seth discovers that his ennui has been hiding his attachments to the people in his life; Drew discovers that he might not be as ill as he had originally thought, and a serial killer is brought to justice.

This is a most unusual story, told in May’s signature style, and despite the subject matter, I found it quite entertaining and not too dark!

I received an ARC from GRR.

Devil May Care by Lark Taylor (The Reckless Damned #2)

Title: ⟫ Devil May Care

Author: ⟫ Lark Taylor

Rating: ⟫ 5/5

Blurb: ⟫ One life-altering kiss sets our whole world on fire.

Harlow

I’ll tell you what isn’t on my agenda for this century: finding my fated mate only to have him reject me.

In fact, having a mate and tying myself down for eternity isn’t even a blip on my radar. But the moment I meet Bailey, there’s no denying he’s meant to be mine. Everything about the gentle Welsh giant calls to me, consuming my thoughts.

The problem? He doesn’t feel the same way. One life-altering kiss has him running in the other direction, leaving me to watch over him from the shadows.
When the opportunity arises to build a friendship, I grab it with both hands. Surely being his friend is better than nothing, right?

It will have to be, especially with a clan of mages sniffing around and looking for trouble. Not unusual since I am an estranged son of Lucifer. But now that I have my mate to consider, things are a lot more serious. How can I truly protect Bailey when he doesn’t even know I’m a demon?

Bailey

I learned a long time ago that relationships aren’t for me. Nobody wants to commit to a bigger guy, especially one who craves a different role in the bedroom.

When Harlow sashays into my life, I can’t help but wish things could be different. Sure, he seems interested, but history has proven that eventually, everyone leaves me.

There’s no way a vibrant firecracker like Harlow wants to be anything more than friends.

But the closer we get, the harder it is to keep him at arm’s length. He tells me he wants a relationship, but how can I believe him when I know he’s hiding something from me?

Devil May Care is an exciting, high-heat, friends-to-lovers paranormal romance with a guaranteed HEA. It is the second book in The Reckless Damned series, and although it can be read as a standalone, more enjoyment would be gained from reading the series in order. Each book focuses on a different couple and will have an HEA.

Review: ⟫ I have been waiting with baited breath for Harlow’s story ever since he was introduced in the first one, and this did not disappoint at all.

Bailey broke my heart for so many reasons, but the obvious one is the mask he wears every single day – the mask that hides his insecurities and doubts, his fear of never being loved enough for someone to stay; his fear that his ex was right – they touched so many of my own insecurities it was difficult to read sometimes.

And we learned so much more about Harlow – how the slightly insane, out of control, full throttle demon could pull back and just – be. The side of himself that he showed to Bailey was so different to what we had seen in the previous book, it almost felt like a privilege or that we were peeking in through a window.

Obviously, the sex was <i>insanely</i> hot and slightly kinky. Actually, skip the slightly kinky part – I just remembered a scene with wings and falling that made me gasp!

But this story was so much more than that. It was a true friends to lovers story, with Harlow and Bailey growing closer slowly, learning about each other and realising that they were friends and it wasn’t just about the demon mark.

It was fabulous to catch up with Cal and Oscar again, and yes, I might just be champing at the bit to find out just what went on between Dagon and Dimitri. I giggled a few times with how Dimitri reacted to Dagon being in danger – the imagery was absolutely spot on! And can I just say, I would dearly love to see the inspiration for Ferry because hot damn!

I have to read this story again because I may have missed out on important plot details in my rush to see just how Bailey and Harlow were going to get their well-deserved HEA – the witches and ghasts were intriguing and the possibilities of what exactly are going on have my brain working overtime. But ultimately, what I truly loved about this story was the relationship between Harlow and Bailey – from the size-difference between them, the way they brought out the best/worst in each other, how protective they were of each other – it was just so so lovely!

I received an ARC from the author.

Three by Helen Juliet

Title: ⟫ Three

Author: ⟫ Helen Juliet

Blurb: ⟫ All good things come in threes…

When three shy best friends sign up to a dating app to finally get some by the end of the year, they don’t expect to all fall for the same gorgeous, slightly scary-looking older man. The only solution? Let him choose who he wants to bed. Except he doesn’t…

Jacob didn’t become a billionaire before hitting thirty-five by making compromises. What he wants, he gets. So why should he choose between these adorable, delectable morsels when he can devour all three of them? Instead, he tells them to decide on an order, and then he’ll spoil each of them one after the other in a way they’ll never forget.

Will one night each be enough, though? And can that really be all they need to fall in love?

Three is a super steamy, stand-alone MMMM gay romance novel featuring a Daddy wolf ready to huff and puff his way into three hearts, no matter what, and a guaranteed HEA with absolutely no cliffhanger.

Review: ⟫ This was fun to read!

Each of the three young men has a distinctive character/kink that they want to explore and what I really liked was that it wasn’t limited to the Daddy thing – they really cared about each other too. They were encouraged to explore that – with Daddy and alone – and I liked how their previous relationship was allowed to flourish and grow so that they weren’t completely dependent upon Daddy.

Wolff was an alpha character, but he was also allowed to display his own vulnerabilities and his assistant was a fabulous character who cracked me up. The sex was steamy and variable, and the Daddy scenes were very nicely handled with something for everyone!

I have read at least one other ‘retold fairy tale’ by Helen Juliet so I sort of knew what to expect, but I found this a diverting, entertaining read that I don’t hesitate to recommend.

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Animosity Equation by J.R. Gray (Love Equations #2)

Title: ⟫ The Animosity Equation (Love Equations #2)
Author: ⟫ J.R Gray
Blurb: ⟫ Have you ever loathed a person so intensely the sight of them made you contemplate homicide?

First day of college, everyone is settling into their rooms, and in walks Jeff Woods—the blond bastard. He's arrogant and smart and an elite swimmer and worst of all everyone loves him. Only he's insufferable and flirty, and a sex god. He pushes every button I never knew I had, all with an air of indifference, like he doesn't know the affect it has on me.

Did I mention he's the hottest guy I've ever laid eyes on?

I'm just some closeted red-neck from the south who's more comfortable on a horse and in a pair of boots than trying to figure out this Ivy League stuff.

There's no way a guy like him would ever look at me twice.

Hate is the only equation.

The Animosity Equation is a stand-alone enemies to lovers, room-mates, forced proximity, wild ride of teasing, lust, and so much more.

Review: ⟫ I’m starting to realise that with this author, I either really love what they write, or it leaves me cold.

This one left me cold. I didn’t feel a connection between Jeff and Mason at all – not even a hate connection. I didn’t like their dynamic and apart from their first meeting, the chemistry (for me) just wasn’t there. I was looking forward to reading this, but I feel like the blurb is very misleading and I was disappointed.

The writing is solid (as it always is) so I think this was just a case of it not gelling for me. I would recommend the first Love Equations story, and I am still looking forward to further instalments.

I received an ARC from GRR. 

Dead Draw by Layla Reyne

Title: ⟫ Dead Draw

Author: ⟫ Layla Reyne

Blurb: ⟫ When a marriage of convenience is the only play left…

Special Agent Emmitt Marshall knows how to:
Wear a cowboy hat.
Hack anything.
Win at chess.
Fall in love with emotionally unavailable men.
He even knows the perfect play to catch the terrorists who killed his mentor.

Special Agent Levi Bishop doesn’t know how to:
Move on after his wife’s death.
Help his grieving son.
Pay off his mountain of debt.
Fix the mess some cowboy cyber agent made of his case.
The same cowboy who proposes a marriage of convenience to stop a common enemy.

Marsh is either the answer to Levi’s prayers—or a handsome nightmare in a Stetson.
Levi doesn’t know.
But both men do know their cases and lives are at a dead draw.
There’s only one play left…
I do.

Layla Reyne returns with an all-new m/m romantic suspense series featuring a cocky hacker with a heart of gold, a widowed father who needs so much help, and a plan only a cowboy could cook up. Grab your hat, hold tight to the reins, and enjoy the ride!

Review: ⟫ I can only say the reason I haven’t read any Layla Reyne before is because it’s never come up for me on Kindle Unlimited. And that’s a shame, because this book was a ride and a half!

Apparently, it’s part of a series – or at least an offshoot of one – as previous characters struck me as having a major backstory that I didn’t know anything about. It didn’t detract from the story – it was quite intriguing actually – and it’s good to know there is more out there. I quite enjoyed the fact that both men had lived full lives before they met each other – it meant that they knew what they wanted/needed and there was no confusion involved. It didn’t mean that everything was smooth sailing however – a marriage of convenience means no catching feelings and both of these two failed abysmally at that side of things. The storyline was engrossing and full of detail – sometimes too much as I felt a little lost – and the background characters were absolutely great. I especially loved the son, David, and would be really interested in a story based on him sometime in the future.

For me, the relationship took a bit of a backseat to the investigations they were undertaking – I don’t know if that’s a thing for this author/series – but I guess I was expecting more romance/relationship based things. A very solid read and if any of the author’s other works turn up on kindle unlimited, I would enjoy a chance to read them.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Beck by JJ Harper (Bar 28 Book #4)

Title: ⟫ Beck (Bar 28 Book 4)
Author: ⟫ JJ Harper
Blurb: ⟫ Finally, he’s found his perfect man. Will he be able to keep him?

Beck Thompson is out and proud. He has a job he loves and friends he considers his family. Okay, he doesn’t have a boyfriend, but chances are slim he’ll find the man who’ll accept all of him, his past and his tattoos. He’s happy. Sort of.

Until he sees the perfect man…with the same woman hanging on his arm every night. Damn.

Munro Sylvester has put every aspect of his life on hold to make his business a success. And he’s done it. But he’s never been true to himself.

One look at the gorgeous, colourful man changes everything. He knows he has to make the first move, but he may risk losing everything he’s worked so hard for.

Can Beck trust his heart that Munro is the one for him? Is Munro brave enough to come out and fight for their happily ever after?

Beck has a tattooed bartender who has never had any luck with love, a hard-working gym owner who’s never said “I’m gay” out loud, instant attraction, and well-meaning, meddling friends.

It is the fourth book in the BAR 28 series, a MM contemporary series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but you’ll enjoy them best by reading them in order. This series is based in the UK.

Blurb: ⟫ Obligatory admittance that I haven’t read any of the other Bar 28 books, and unfortunately I won’t be looking for them after reading Beck. The story had a lot of potential and I was looking forward to reading about this gorgeous sounding man finding his ‘person’. But I have to be honest and admit that I never really felt that Munro deserved Beck. The whole manner in which he handled the Lucie situation annoyed the heck out of me – especially later in the book when she ‘tricked’ him into taking her shopping. Like, after everything she did, why would he let that happen?

I found it easy to see which other characters in the book had previous stories and I would imagine for anyone who has read all of the Bar 28 books that it would be nice to catch up with them all.

Beck was an interesting character and I wish I could have seen all of the tattoos and especially the exhibition. That sounded really epic and the author did a very good job describing the whole thing and helping you visualise it. But my feelings about the book were soured by Munro to the extent that there were a couple of times where I really wish that Beck had thrown away his phone number for good and walked past Munro when he waited for him outside the bar!

The writing was solid, most of the characters were engaging and entertaining – I just wish Beck had found a love worthy of him!

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Sceptic by Lily Morton

Title: ⟫ The Sceptic

Author: ⟫ Lily Morton

Blurb: ⟫ As the best friend of a psychic, Will Buchanan can’t help but believe in the dead. It’s the living that he finds to be problematic. However, after a spate of betrayals, he finally has the chance of a new life within his grasp, and he’s not going to risk it for anyone or anything. Staying safe is the name of Will’s game.

Jem Dawson defines the word temporary. A talented cameraman, he’s here today and will undoubtedly be gone tomorrow chasing adventure and danger. But, while he’s in York, he’s made it clear he wants Will, and Will can’t help liking the charming daredevil.

This inconvenient attraction results in Will accompanying Jem to the site of a notorious poltergeist outbreak. A malevolent spirit has targeted a family, and now the ghost hunting team for whom Jem does camerawork are going to be locked down in the house for three days.

The house is strange and filled with sinister and violent undercurrents. One by one, the group experiences threatening incidents, and as events escalate, Will has to ask himself if he's risking not just his heart but also his life with this impulsive gesture.

This is the first book in the Arcana Books series featuring characters from the bestselling Black and Blue series.

Review: ⟫ It seems like it’s been my week for reading about extremely tall men with lots of tattoos, which lets be honest is a great way to spend the week.

I haven’t read the Blue Billings books although I might try to grab hold of them after reading this. The Sceptic was a really interesting combination of romance, suspense and quite a bit of terror – some of the nightmares in there actually freaked me out a little and my daughter accidentally jump-scared me as I was reading and didn’t see her come into my room! The spooky side of things was very well written – possibly a little bit too well – and I really wanted to know what was in the house as much as Jem and Ben. I also completely understood Will wanting to run away and never come back!

The relationship between Jem and Will was so much fun – they both seemed able to see the truth about each other, warts and all, yet appreciate the other person anyway. Will’s character didn’t have the typical background of a male lead and I appreciated that – he wasn’t a cardboard cut-out, but was full of fears, desires and aspirations – when was the last time a male lead aspired to be an accountant!

As always, very strong writing, believable side-characters, but with enough of a break from reality not to be depressing. I would like to know more about the characters in the bookshops and can see myself following the Arcana series in the future.

I received an ARC from GRR.