Saint's Song by Garrett Leigh

Title: ⟫ Saint’s Song
Author: ⟫ Garrett Leigh
Blurb: ⟫ Expect: a fragile king, a sweet-hearted henchman, an enigmatic hitman, and a fight to the death.

Cam, Alexei, and Saint have survived their battle with the devil, but with too many enemies to count, can they survive the war?

“Kill me,” I choked out. “If he’s dead, you gotta kill me too.”

One club, one heart.

Three men, one soul.

Can loving someone kill you? I feel like the world is ending every time I look at them.

Cam. My brother. My president.

He’s the love of my life

And then there’s Alexei. I didn’t know I could feel this way about one person, let alone two. But I think of him in every breath I breathe for Cam. Every thundering beat of my heart. Because there is no Cam without him.

There is no me. My life wasn’t worth living until I found something worth dying for.

And I’d die for them a thousand times.

Saint’s Song is the second in a hurt/comfort, biker romance, MMM duet from the world of the Rebel Kings MC. Content warnings inside the book

Review: ⟫ Well, that was a ride and a half, no pun intended. I wasn’t sure exactly how Saint fitted into the dynamic between Cam and Alexei but I must admit, I see how it worked. They make an intimidating, powerful and beautiful trio and their journey was fascinating. It wasn’t easy and there was no magic trick to how they worked out, but I did enjoy reading about the aftermath to ‘Devil’s Dance’ and how the Rebel Kings moved on from there.

The relationship between the three men went beyond just physical, especially with regard to Saint who was not as sexual as Alexei or Cam – they accepted him the way he was with no questions, and that was really beautiful to see. Saint himself was a fascinating character, and seeing more of his inner thoughts was enticing. The backstory we got on him was heartbreaking.

The reason for 4.5 stars was that sometimes the story felt long and drawn out, and some of the drama regarding Viktor, etc felt extraneous but I imagine it was important for upcoming storylines. Now that was just my feelings and other opinions will vary. I did enjoy the impending sense of doom as our three guys worked on their relationship, but sometimes I just wanted them to get on with it.

The other relationships within the MC were set up and it was clear who would be getting a story. Devil’s Dance and Saint’s Story have made me consider joining Garrett Leigh’s Patreon and I have also added the Skins Box Set to my TBR list.

I received an ARC from GRR. 

Brother by Marina Vivancos

Title: ⟫ Brother
Author: ⟫ Marina Vivancos
Blurb: ⟫ Nathan had always loved his twin brother. How could he not? They had been inseparable since before birth. They’d shaped each other. Were each other’s homes.

But even love, Nathan knew, could go too far. Too deep. So he had tried to keep his distance—had gone to a different college, tried to make a life without his brother.

Now that they’re both back home for summer, though, Nathan doesn’t know how to escape the way he feels…or the way his brother might feel in return.

Review: ⟫ If the title wasn’t enough of a clue to let you know this one is incest (or twincest) then consider this your only warning.

The writing was very good – imagery was crisp and clear, and you got a sense of what Nathan was struggling with very strongly. The whole story is told from Nathan’s perspective. As the quieter twin – the nerd versus the popular jock – you very much felt his confusion, sense of loss and general disquiet. Because of how he feels about his brother, Nathan decided to go to a separate college and is feeling the pinch of being alone for the first time ever – the hurt is palpable and you feel for him deeply.

There are a few flashbacks where you learn a little more about how protective Simon is of his twin. However, one of my favourite moments was when Nathan’s mother was talking to him and telling him a story that outlined so strongly the depth of Simon’s need for his brother – it gave another side to his twin that Nathan had never considered and it changed things quite a lot.

I really enjoyed the story and only wish it had been longer. The sex was quite visceral as Nathan gave himself over to belonging to his brother completely, and I think it was quite telling with regard to how much Simon had been fighting the same things as his brother. If twins or something being taboo are one of your kinks, then I think you’ll find this book enjoyable and I’m happy to recommend it.

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Alpha Contract by Eliot Grayson (Mismatched Mates)

Title: ⟫ The Alpha Contract (Mismatched Mates)
Author: ⟫ Eliot Grayson
Blurb: ⟫ Sometimes you get what you pay for. Sometimes you get more than you bargained for...

Brook's alpha-centric family doesn’t respect him. He'll only succeed his father as CEO if he takes an alpha mate. But an alpha is the last thing he wants. Brook likes to be on top, in life and in bed.

A paid mate seems like the ideal solution. The alpha can run interference with Brook's family, but Brook will be in charge. When he hires Dimitri, a rough-around-the-edges criminal who's deep in debt and desperate enough to take any job, Brook expects a transactional relationship. One night together to form the mate bond. Simple.

Dimitri's never been with another man, but how bad can it be? Even if Brook is a snobby rich dude, like his family. Only he isn’t. He's funny, honourable, open-minded, and surprisingly vulnerable…and an unexpectedly willing lover. Dimitri's protective instincts are as aroused as his body.

Brook can’t help responding to Dimitri's kindness, humour, and ability to take charge in bed and out—something that's never appealed to Brook until now. And that makes things anything but simple.

It's supposed to be a means to an end. A mutually beneficial arrangement. But for this to be anything more, they'll have to expose their family secrets and admit their real feelings…

The Alpha Contract can be read as a stand-alone and is only loosely related to the previous book in series, Lost Touch. Contains an alpha-for-hire, a wealthy executive with a plan, and plenty of knotting. This series does not contain mpreg. HEA guaranteed.

Review: ⟫ Firstly, I would definitely agree that this is only tangentially related to the Mismatched Mates series – in fact, I would go so far as to say that it does it a disservice to tack it onto the end as readers may be disappointed or confused expecting something more like the other books.

However, if you read this book as a complete stand-alone, I reckon the love will be for real. I have seen a few people express concerns about certain aspects of the book: Dimitri being completely straight initially, his comments about how he is able to perform sexually with Brook, and aspects of Brook appearing to have extremely female characteristics whilst being a man.

And I can understand and appreciate them.

However, I found this book engaging and entertaining. It made me giggle at some of their interactions, the sex was hot, and the almost cartoonish villains just added to the whole thing. I guess I would suggest you suspend belief and just enjoy the good writing, the snark and banter, and the guaranteed HEA. This book made me smile, sigh and generally feel happy and I think my appreciation for it is based on that more than anything.

I’ve enjoyed the Mismatched Mates series and would love to read more, but perhaps this book could be the beginning of another, different series in it’s own right? Definitely recommend if you are looking to escape for a few hours and deserving of a 4/5 from me.

I received an ARC from GRR.