What We Earned by Hinsel Meyer

TITLE: ⟫ What We Earned

AUTHOR: ⟫ Hinsel Meyer

RATING: ⟫ 3/5

BLURB: ⟫ Glenn

With so many things to do before I graduate college, any distraction is an unwelcome one. I’m not in the greatest mindset when George arrives at my place to move in, and let’s just say I’m not a ray of f***ing sunshine our first day as roommates. When I finally make things right and start a tentative friendship with him, he throws me a curveball by kissing me. Can anyone blame me when my reaction to that kiss is to offer him a friends with benefits deal? The guy’s the definition of handsome—he looks like he could be a Hemsworth for f*ck’s sake—I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by now that I know he’s not straight. I have way too many things to do in order to get the life I want, so having a live-in hookup seems to be the perfect solution to let off some steam.

George

I’ve known I’m not straight for almost a year now. The realization didn’t come because of Glenn, but my attraction to him cemented it. Now, I have a chance to explore this new side of my sexuality with the only person in campus who I hung out with last year, too. The fact that he’s a gorgeous walking contradiction—buff and tattooed, but also a big-glasses-wearing genius—doesn’t hurt a thing. How he’s able to be so willingly vulnerable draws me in, and before I know it, I’m catching feelings. And just when I think he’s catching some himself, he drops a bomb that makes me question if the “friends” part of our deal is real.

Will Glenn ever fully trust me?

Glenn’s moving to Boston next year; no matter how much of a nervous wreck he is about getting his acceptance letter to MIT, I know he will—he’s worked too hard not to. And I… I don’t know where I’ll be, all I know is I’ll be playing for an NFL team. Our deal to be friends with benefits for our last year at Cavendish and then go back to being just friends seems to be the most logical, and we both love logic. But when things start going off track we have some decisions to make.

Will we fight for each other?

What We Earned is a contemporary MM Friends with Benefits, Bi-awakening, College Romance and Book 2 in the Fan Service Series. While it is a standalone, it would be best enjoyed by reading the series in order. This book has no cliffhangers and ends in a HEA. There are a lot of very gay things happening inside, so if that's not for you, then this book isn't either. If it is, then welcome to the mostly low-angsty world of the Fan Service Series, I'm thrilled to have you and hope you enjoy this journey.

REVIEW: ⟫ I struggled with this book – for me, it dragged until around 50%, and then I kept going through sheer bloody-mindedness and sunk-cost fallacy. That’s not to say it’s a bad book – I just found it nearly impossible to get into it, like the characters or care what was happening.

I would say that it was difficult to read as a stand-alone. From the very beginning, it references things that seem to have happened in the first book in the series (which I haven’t read) involving the intermingled friend groups of the two main characters. Sometimes when this happens, I will try to read the first book in the series to ‘catch up’ but I couldn’t bring myself to do that this time. I also found myself kinda disliking some of the characters from the previous book – they felt like ‘set’ pieces rather than real people. It’s hard to describe what I mean, but for example, Sebas was over the top, annoying and apparently loved by absolutely everyone.

Glenn was an interesting character – having survived his childhood, he was very self-aware and knew that he had issues. He had even pencilled in therapy as part of his life plan. He was determined to stick to his plan and a friends with benefits thing with George seemed ideal until he started catching feelings and then things just got very confusing for him. Unfortunately, I just didn’t like Glenn. I admired his resilience and his determination to get where he wanted in life, but I didn’t like him as a person. I found him difficult to picture in my head – I know he was meant to be a buff, tattoo-covered geek wearing glasses, but apart from the stereotypical imagery that produced, I couldn’t ‘see’ him in my head. Which made it difficult to figure out what all of the fuss was about – yes, Glenn was a genius, but when it came to human relationships he seemed like a bit of a robotic a**hole.

Then we come to George and I feel really bad, but I can barely remember anything about him. He just didn’t seem to come alive for me in any respect, and as such I didn’t care about him or what happened to him. Between him and Glenn, I didn’t feel heat, chemistry or even true regard – it began as a relationship of convenience and carried on that way. Even the ‘break’ felt overly complicated although I was really annoyed with Glenn for breaking such a cardinal rule. That felt out of character to me – for it not to even occur to him what he was doing until George reacted felt wrong, somehow.

The writing is solid, with good grammar and no plot holes. Perhaps if I had read the first book, this one wouldn’t have been such a struggle for me? I think marketing it as a stand-alone might be doing it a disservice somewhat but without reading the first novel, I couldn’t confirm that. This is a YMMV I think – perhaps I simply wasn’t in the right frame of mind for it?

I received an ARC from GRR.

Fated Mates Anthology by various authors

TITLE: ⟫ Fated Mates Anthology

AUTHOR: ⟫ Louisa Masters, Nikole Knight, Michelle Frost, Kelex

RATING: ⟫ 2.5 - 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Fated Mates is a Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology from some of your favorite MM authors!

It features new, exclusive stories from Kiki Clark, Mia Monroe, Louisa Masters, Kelly Fox, Sheena Jolie, Jennifer Cody, Nikole Knight, Vinni George, Chloe Archer, Meghan Maslow, Lee Colgin, Kelex, H.L Day, Grae Bryan, AJ Sherwood, Michele Notaro, Lisa Oliver, Ariana Nash, Michelle Frost, and JP Sayle.

All royalties will be donated to the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and the ACLU's Drag Defense Fund.

REVIEWS: ⟫ I received an ARC of four of the stories contained in this anthology.

Aether and the Elements by Louisa Masters

3/5 – I wasn’t a huge fan of this one to be honest. Aether confused/annoyed me simply because so many of his actions didn’t make sense. If he had been through this so many times before, why was he so confused by his mate’s actions/reactions? This felt like it should have been a full length novel rather than the length it was in order for the full back story and climax to be fully realised.

How to Survive a Summoning by Nikole Knight

4.5/5 – This made me giggle so much. I loved Lyn – who wouldn’t fall in love with Lyn? And Jamie was such an absolute sweetheart. I enjoyed the running gags throughout the piece, the hints of further, deeper lore, and the back characters were entertaining and made me want to learn more.

A Werewolf Called Ammon by Michelle Frost

2.5/5 – this didn’t work for me at all. To be fair, I should have known this would be the case after realising it was in the Hellhound called Derek verse, another book that just didn’t work for me. I felt no chemistry between the leads whatsoever, the premise was paper thin and it felt very much like not a lot happened and then it was finished. The weakest story for me.

A Squirrel Gets His Nut by Kelex

3/5 – having just recently read ‘Only Skin Deep’ which is the story following on from this one, I was interested to see how Luca and Ash got together. The idea of ‘wearing’ your mate like a tattoo was intriguing and I wanted to enjoy this far more than I did. Unfortunately, Luca’s feelings about police/authority seemed overblown and although I could kinda understand it, it felt like a bit much. I was also really confused by Luca’s mother and felt like there was much more to that story that we didn’t get to find out. Kudos for the title though!

I received an ARC from GRR but all opinions are my own.

Corin and the Courtier by Eliot Grayson (Beautiful Beasts Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Corin and the Courtier (Beautiful Beasts Book #1)

AUTHOR: ⟫ Eliot Grayson

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Most people run from beasts, not to them…

Aster didn’t put much thought into his escape. All he knew when he ran up that mountain—straight into the lair of a grumpy dragon knight with a huge grudge against his family—was that he couldn’t submit to an arranged marriage. It never occurred to him that a snowstorm would strand him there. Or that he’d give in to years of longing and beg for the monster’s forbidden touch. But it happened. All of it…

Corin wasn’t trying to be a hero—especially not Aster’s hero. He couldn’t very well let him die, though. So he protected him. Which might have been considered noble…if he hadn’t also fallen into bed with him. Over and over again. But the cost of keeping Aster is far more than Corin’s willing to pay. Corin will eventually be forced to let him go—even if it destroys him.

When Aster’s problems follow him up the mountain—literally—he realizes running is no longer an option. The only question now is whether Corin will fight for him, or burn their potential happily ever after to the ground…

This spicy, steamy, M/M paranormal fantasy romance features a pair of star-crossed opposites, a little forced proximity (with only one bed), some silliness involving a lack of pants at unexpected moments, and plenty of dirty talk.

This series does not contain mpreg. There’s a brief occurrence of self-destructive ideation in this book, but no action is taken. HEA guaranteed!

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a fun introduction to a new series. Corin has sent himself into exile and is, quite frankly, bored. His boredom is alleviated by the last person he should be pleased to see – the twin brother of his ex-fiancee. Somehow, Asher works his way beneath Corin’s cold exterior until the two of them are discovering they have much in common, including a predilection for a little dirty talk and destroying clothing. But when the very thing Asher is running away from catches up with him, do the two of them have what it takes to grab the happiness that is right in front of them?

This was full of witty banter, fun situations and a new look at the old trope of only one bed. I loved learning so much about the dragons and judging by the cover photo, it’s completely understandable why Asher has such a crush on Corin. At turns touching, annoying, exasperating but always entertaining, I really loved this introduction to a new series – and I can barely wait to see how a certain troubadour copes in the future.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Whispers in the Dark by Nikole Knight & Lily Mayne (Black Oasis Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Whispers in the Dark (Black Oasis Book #1)

AUTHOR: ⟫ Nikole Knight and Lily Mayne

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ You never know what’s hiding under your bed…

At twenty-four, Cody has already lost hope of having a life of his own. All his time is spent playing nurse to a dying, spiteful step-father and maid to his bully half-brother. His only escapes are playing his favorite online fantasy game, Black Oasis, and talking to the strange, unearthly presence under his bed that may or may not actually exist.

But everything changes when his nightly visitor, who introduces himself as Nor, starts talking back.

As their connection deepens, Nor invites Cody into the surreal world existing just beyond his nightmares, filled with haughty demons, passion-killing pet bugs named Gef, and a dark landscape that is oddly familiar. With his sweet but monstrous companion by his side, Cody might finally gain the life of freedom and adventure that he’s always wanted.

Join Nor and Cody as they unearth the true meaning of hope, passion, and a love of endless depths that spans between worlds in Whispers in the Dark, the first book in Knight and Mayne’s co-authored queer, monster romance series, Black Oasis.

Whispers in the Dark is an M/M monster romance full of hurt/comfort, angst, humor, and a sweet, spicy love between a redheaded Texan and his precious, six-fingered Deepdweller. This love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. Be sure to check the Trigger Warnings at the beginning of the book for more details.

REVIEW: ⟫ I went into this with vaguely high hopes and I wasn’t disappointed.

Cody’s life is just so sad, empty yet full of pain that it’s no wonder he begins talking to the darkness beneath his bed – even knowing it’s most likely either a monster or a figment of his imagination, it’s still the best thing to happen to him. It doesn’t take far into the book to realise that Cody is living in a dangerous situation – between the verbal abuse of his stepfather, the emotional damage being caused by his absent mother and the physical abuse he suffers fro his half-brother, it’s a wonder that Cody is the kind, caring individual that he is.

Nor is just amazing. I adore the fact that he rumbles and purrs encouragement at Cody; is terrified of a Pomeranian and thinks comparing something to dirt is a compliment. I giggled more than once at their interactions, but more than anything it was so sweet as these two began to trust each other and their relationship grew until it became sexual. Lily Mayne has a knack for writing hot monsters and she definitely achieved that with Nor,as well as creatures that I imagine will feature in their own story in the future.

Black Oasis as part of the world building was an excellent move and I’m intrigued as to how there are so many similarities, although I suspect a certain curly haired ghost might have something to do with that.

The story doesn’t shy away from the less pleasant aspects of looking after someone who is bed-bound, especially someone who treats their carer with such little respect and regard. The underlying subtext from Cody’s brother, as well as hints given elsewhere, gave the story some urgency and after visiting Nor’s home, I did wonder if it would be possible for Cody to get his happy ever after with Nor.

This book has some laugh out loud moments (Lau’s brother and his mischievous gifts comes to mind) meant that there was some levity to what could quite easily have been an angst-filled story and I appreciated that. Even when things got dark, there was always light and the authors did a great job of ensuring that you knew there was going to be a way through. I felt that the joint-writing was almost seamless and that the authors seemed to work well together and produce something more than worthy of an afternoon’s read.

Captured: A Dark Romance by R.A. Frick

TITLE: ⟫ Captured: A Dark Romance

AUTHOR: ⟫ R.A. Frick

RATING: ⟫ 1/5

BLURB: ⟫ Running away from small-town Montana to Los Angeles, and meeting the handsome Jayantha, Cal thinks his luck is getting better. The man with Jay is looking for models, but Cal gets kidnapped and brought far away from his American life and innocent world view.

Jay learns his family has secrets of their their matchmaking is a front for kidnapping people to sell. He's not sure how to save himself, let alone the innocents they have imprisoned...

Can Cal trust anyone, or will he have to save himself?

*

Content Warning: If you like your stories dark and twisty before the romance happens, this book has that in spades. If you like your romance fluffy with insta-love, this is not the book for you! Third person, past tense, dual POV. Full content warning inside.

REVIEW: ⟫ I love a dark and twisty romance so this sounded like it would be well up my street. Judging by the other reviews this has received, this hit the mark for a LOT of people. Unfortunately, not for me.

None of the characters were built into someone to care/root for; lots of the story seemed to make little to no sense, with villains that were worse than caricatures; I seriously do not understand how any of this made it past beta readers because it was just all so off. It had the bones of a really good, interesting story but unfortunately it was never truly fleshed out.

The relationship between Jay and Cal could barely be called a relationship – in fact, the blurb says if you like insta-love, this is not for you but there is no other way to describe the situation-ship between the two men. There was no reason for Cal to trust Jay, and certainly no reason for Jay to want to save Cal and the others. Even the ‘intimacy’ between Cal and Jay was transactional at best and the fact that Cal was a virgin before anything happened between them actually makes things feel so much worse.

There felt like there was a lot of MF content, albeit non-consensual, and just overall I don’t think this was the book for me at all. I’m not going to get into the whole editing, spelling thing because I know that isn’t the substance of the book, but there were errors in who was speaking, etc that didn’t help.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Only Skin Deep by Kelex

TITLE: ⟫ Only Skin Deep

AUTHOR: ⟫ Kelex

RATING: ⟫ 3/5

BLURB: ⟫ Welcome to the world of Enchanted Ink! For a price, master tattooists can place a beautiful spell directly onto your skin. Want to be wealthy? Beautiful? Loved? You’ve come to the right place. Just make sure the price you’ll pay is worth it as the cost isn’t always in gold.

****

Luca Galioto can tattoo just about any spell, but he specializes in healing tattoos. He’ll need to create his masterpiece after his mate, and Salem PD detective, Ash Montgomery brings in a human suffering a curse to end all curses. Luca uses every ounce of strength to save the man—because they both sense he’s their third.

Colby Kennedy doesn’t believe in witches, demons, fated mates, and the things that go bump in the night. Yet he struggles to ignore the deep-seated lust he feels every time he looks at Luca and Ash. No matter his need, he has his brother to care for and a business to run. He doesn’t have time for nonsense.

The demons don’t stop coming, putting everything he holds dear in jeopardy. Luca and Ash, and the coven at Enchanted Ink, are the only things keeping him and his brother from losing everything.

But can he accept their world and his place in it before it’s too late?

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh I wanted to love this one! Fated mates who just happen to be thirds, tattoos with magic imbued in them, demons and a coven in trouble – it just sounded like it would be a breakneck-paced romance with masses of passion and lust, with protectiveness thrown in and magic being thrown around to protect people. Phew!

Yeah, no – this wasn’t that. For a story that involves a third being nearly killed by a tattoo, with demons threatening to destroy much needed/desired third parties, this story lacked passion for me – which is a surprise as in order to recharge, Luca and Ash go at it quite a bit. I felt like the story got a bit lost in the people – not a lot actually happened apart from hints of another pairing, Daniel turning out to be more than just a little magical, and Colby falling under the spell of two good looking men who insisted he was sent to complete them.

We didn’t find out the underlying reason for what the demons were doing, there was no big battle, and even getting Colby to accept his new reality was nowhere near as difficult as I thought it might be. It all just felt a bit – flat? Or maybe too ‘normal’ for a story that was so heavily steeped in the paranormal.

The writing was solid, some of the characters were better written than others, and the world building/premise behind the mate-mark were really intriguing but this story just didn’t fill in enough of the blanks that I wanted to read. Perhaps further through the series, we will learn more about the background of the coven, why the demons might choose to attack the way they have and how everyone fits into this world, but at the moment I don’t think this was a satisfactory introduction to a new series and I’m not sure I’ll read any further.

I received an ARC from GRR.