How To Train Your Alpha by Mm Farmer (Bangers & Mash Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ How To Train Your Alpha

AUTHOR: ⟫ MM Farmer

SERIES: ⟫ Bangers & Mash Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ It’s time for the teacher’s pet to get a sizzling lesson on how to take an omega through heat…

Jesse

I wasn’t looking forward to wasting a weekend at the Bangers & Mash compound, sitting through Emergency Support Alpha training when I had no interest in actually becoming an ESA, but from the moment the course instructor, Phillip Mash, walked into the room, my alpha senses went nuts.

Who in their right mind would have an omega about to go into heat teach a class full of alphas?

Phillip

I wasn’t born yesterday. I’d taught the Heat Support class dozens of times. And I had time before my heat started. Or so I thought. But then Jesse Armstrong had to walk through the door and set me off. I thought I could keep it together, but when the two of us were trapped just as Nature took over and turned me into a whimpering pile of slick, I had no choice but to give Jesse a hands-on crash course in taking an omega through heat.

How am I supposed to teach a total newbie how to satisfy me effectively when I’m out of my mind with need?

How to Train Your Alpha is the first book in the Bangers & Mash series. It’s a great start for total newbies to the omegaverse genre, and a fun introduction to a different twist on familiar tropes. However, PLEASE NOTE – No omegas are impregnated in the course of this story, although it does happen in this universe. Also, there is no shifting in this world.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a nicely told story about fate ensuring things happen at the right time, with humans getting in the way with their thoughts and their insecurities and worries. Jesse and Phillip were so obviously a match from the moment they met, but they both fought against their instincts and were determined to think their way through everything. It was fun to see the way life worked against them until they were forced to face their natures and give in to their desires.

The chemistry between the two of them was nicely written, as were the sex scenes and I really liked seeing both sides with regard to what they were thinking. The meddling dads were also fun! A nice, simple read to end off the month!

Waves by Howl Avery (Inhuman Love Collection Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Waves

AUTHOR: ⟫ Howl Avery

SERIES: ⟫ Inhuman Love Collection Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 3/5

BLURB: ⟫ A year after ending his engagement a mere two days before the wedding, Ezra has settled into his new life: documenting the local seal population, walking the beaches with his black lab, or having lunch with his one remaining friend. Life is simple, quiet, and predictable until the day Ezra befriends a man who walks right out of the sea.

Kai has been alone for a long time—a very, very long time. So much so, he can’t remember living as anything but a seal or caring about anyone human. Until one day, he meets someone amid the ocean who drives his urge to return to land again.

Waves is a low-angst MM paranormal romance featuring a selkie and human pairing.

REVIEW: ⟫ This was a sweet, slightly strange love story between a marine biologist and a selkie. The connection between Ezra and Kai felt tenuous and there were times when I felt that the relationship between them just wasn’t for the best? I think Kai’s concerns about Ezra waiting for him constantly whilst he was in his seal form were valid – time passed differently, and although Kai truly cared for Ezra, when he was a seal that caring was very much in the back of his mind.

I think for me I found that I didn’t actually care very much about the relationship between the two leads. I found myself wondering so much more about Ezra’s relationship with Thom, how it ended and just why he wasn’t reporting Thom for his behaviour. I also struggled with what felt like Ezra’s self imposed loneliness – he had friends who made it so obvious that they cared about him, yet he constantly acted surprised that he had these friends.

I’m struggling with this review because I feel like it is a disconnect from my end rather than the actual story. Ezra was too easy-going about things but then he turned almost too much in the other direction, trying to force Kai to remain on land.

As I say, I think the disconnect is mine and that the story is well worth a look if you like the idea of a selkie falling in love with a human.

Second Shot by Con Riley (Second Chance School Book #2)

TITLE: ⟫ Second Shot

AUTHOR: ⟫ Con Riley

SERIES: ⟫ Second Chance School Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Welcome back to Glynn Harber School for another steamy, swoony romance between two bruised souls.

Passion always leads to heartbreak for Hayden Novac.

Nice guys always get picked last. That’s what my coach at a soccer academy once promised. Ten years and a career change from a footballer to a woodland manager later, it turns out that his picked-last rule also applies to my love life.

I can’t imagine what being someone’s first choice feels like until an artist shows me at the school where I now work.

I could have a second shot at happiness with him, but given my track record, can I risk my heart to take it?

Featuring an ex-footballer afraid of rejection and the artist who draws a different future for him, Second Shot continues Con Riley's Second Chance School series. Expect passion in close proximity, love as wild as Cornish woodland, and an HEA that will keep you turning pages.

REVIEW: ⟫ This book resonated with me quite strongly – when I was in my mid thirties, I suffered from a bad concussion that messed up my brain for quite a long time. Therefore, reading about the different ways the members of staff at the Second Chance school were working with children and people to help them find their place really touched me.

Hayden was quite a heart-breaking character, and I found it really interesting finding out how he ended up working the way that he was. It wasn’t an info dump – it was much more like we were seeing/hearing his story in stages, very much like how Rae took the kids through his life experiences.

Sometimes I felt like there was too much referencing to past incidences that I didn’t know about, but that may well be my own fault because I haven’t read the first book in this series. The relationship between the two men was sweet and steamy at the same time, but it did feel like it was ‘bitty’ – after the wedding, they separated, then got back together, again claiming it was temporary. I guess I wanted something more definitive?

I loved the relationship Hayden had with his stepmother and sisters, and when Rae met them it was heartening to once again see Hayden through his eyes. Rae definitely made Hayden seem like a giant in both his heart and his thoughts, and I appreciated how clearly he saw the man inside.

I think this was a book about the journeys we all take throughout life, the mark that we make on other people and the marks that they make on us. I think that was what I took from the book in the main rather than the relationship between Hayden and Rae – sometimes it felt like they were a side-plot in their own romance which is why I am struggling to describe how this book made me feel.

I will look for the first book in the series because I adore the whole concept of the Second Chance School and think it is well worth a read. I received an ARC from GRR.

Forbidden Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James (Puckboys Book #7)

TITLE: ⟫ Forbidden Puckboy

AUTHOR: ⟫ Eden Finley & Saxon James

SERIES: ⟫ Puckboys Book #7

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Easton

You know what’s the worst feeling in the world? Being in love with someone since you were twelve years old, knowing they only see you as a little brother type.

Not even becoming an NHL star has made him realize I’m all grown up now.

All of that changes when I ask my brother’s best friend to ref a charity match and we spend an entire week in each other’s pocket.

Being close to him is torture, but for the first time since my adolescent crush started, I begin to feel hope. I swear Knox looks at me the same way I look at him. Or so I think. When I throw myself at him and get utterly rejected, I never want to see him again.

Yet, shaking him is impossible, because he and Connor are always around, and my older brother is suffocatingly protective. Every time I look at Knox, I’m reminded of how he turned me down.

Can’t I just die of embarrassment in peace?

Knox

The Kiki brothers are legendary in the NHL world. Thick as thieves, unstoppable on the ice, and the kind of family nothing can come between. Or so I thought.

For the last ten years, I’ve successfully hidden my feelings for the middle Kiki brother. Easton is snarky, determined, and the prettiest guy I’ve met. Ever since we stumbled across each other on a gay dating app and shared our secrets, I’ve felt a connection to him that I haven’t had with anything else.

But Connor is my best friend and when it comes to his little brothers, “protective” doesn’t cover it. I’m determined to take my feelings for Easton to the grave, but after a week in close proximity to him, my willpower is ready to break.

All it takes is one charity hockey match, a drunken night out, and a forbidden kiss for me to know that Easton Kikishkin is it for me.

And unless I want to lose Connor, Easton will never be mine.

REVIEW: ⟫ When I started reading this, I thought it was going to be a hockey spin on the best friend’s sibling trope, which to some extent it was. But it was also based on a lot more ‘realism’ – it was about whether you have the faith in yourself to take chances; realising that love and romance take effort and work; accepting the changing roles that people have in life.

I really enjoyed reading this, predominantly for Easton and Knox, but also for the progression in Connor’s character. We see him having to accept the changing roles in his brother and best friend’s lives, how his perception of himself and his role in life needs to change, and perhaps a new perspective on his past life.

Knox and Easton are brilliant together – they are so obviously each other’s person that occasionally, it saddened me that Knox seemed prepared to call it quits too easily. However, the more that I read, the more I could understand why he was the way that he was. After all, hard enough to face the reality of your slight lack of talent compared to an entire family of superstars – how much harder to try to build a relationship when your entire career rests on your ability to be impartial?

I loved the catch up with the Queer Collective, although I admit that I occasionally struggle to remember who everyone is, how they got together and how they relate to each other. I’m pretty sure that in a Facebook group somewhere, someone has created a kind of family tree that shows how everyone is connected so I might have to have a look at that before the next Puckboy book!

Eden Finley and Saxon James are a magic combination and this book is no exception. A worthy addition to the entire series and I look forward to the next one.

The Nøkk and the Jock by Leslie McAdam (Creelin University Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ The Nøkk and the Jock

AUTHOR: ⟫ Leslie McAdam

SERIES: ⟫ Creelin University Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB:⟫ You’re formally admitted to Creelin University—known locally as “Creepin U.” The only things wilder than the monster shifters prowling around campus are the spicy male-male love stories unfolding between classes. The Nøkk and the Jock is book one, starring an emo shapeshifter and a sunshine human. Each book is a stand-alone M/M spooky romance, but we hope you enroll in them all.

I’m pumped to be one of the first humans to attend a monster university, but a minor, negligible, insignificant issue arises almost My new roommate wants to drag me to his underground realm and take my soul.

He’s a nøkk who could almost pass for human, except his webbed fingers and entirely black eyes give him away. In my attempt to befriend him, I give him three drops of my blood, a black animal, and a bottle of vodka (I hear it’s a nøkk thing). Which apparently triggers some ancient bonding ritual. My bad.

I must admit I’m into him. Maybe those online tests that say I’m only mostly straight are right. But there are a few I can’t know his real name. He won’t show me his true form. And he’s both an omen and a cause of drowning … which is troubling, since he’s on the water polo team with me.

Still, something about him calls to me, even if it shouldn’t.

The Nøkk

This human is mine.

Stay away from him.

The Nøkk and the Jock is a monster-human bi-awakening M/M romance starring Brandon Fernandez, a golden retriever of a human being, and the prickly, melancholy nøkk. It features puzzling emoji text conversations, a monster who can stop waterfalls in midair, and drunken scareoke (monster karaoke). HEA guaranteed.

REVIEW: ⟫ When I read the blurb for this, I was intrigued. And my interest was well rewarded! This was a very sweet, lovingly written read, with a fascinating premise and very good follow through. Brandon is one of the first humans invited to Creelin University where he will be studying alongside monsters. He plays on the water polo team with a variety of monsters and is looking forward to meeting his new room-mate – the Nøkk. From the very beginning, there is a connection between the two of them and I so enjoyed reading how they overcame their concerns and fears and became a couple.

I thought the idea of how the monsters came about was very, very cool. I really enjoyed the fact that there wasn’t some huge information dump – the reader finds things out organically through circumstances and/or from Brandon’s never-ending questions. The Nøkk and Brandon together were incredibly cute and I so enjoyed the way that their romance progressed. It would have been so easy for it to be a soul-mate trope where free will wasn’t an option, whereas they both made sure the other was following their feelings

I also really enjoyed the water polo aspect of things which I didn’t expect as I’ve never watched it. If you think of this series as a lighter, college version of the Lily Mayne Monstrous series, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I will definitely be looking out for more in the series.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined by W.H. Lockwood (Sinful Crimes Duology Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined

AUTHOR: ⟫ W.H. Lockwood

SERIES: ⟫ The Sinful Crimes Duology Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ "It’s you and it’s you and it’s always been you…"

Catholic priest and exorcist Joe Bruno has been nursing a secret crush for months. All he can think about is too-sexy-for-words, demon-killing art historian Percy Ashdown.

One cataclysmic night, when Joe realises Percy’s about to slip from his grasp forever, he’s forced to lay his cards on Percy’s table. What Joe doesn’t know is that Percy’s dreamed of this moment since the day they met, and quicker than he can say Hail Mary, Percy whisks Joe away to Europe on the holiday of a lifetime.

The only problem is, Percy’s living a double life. And while he’s determined to keep his dark side hidden from his sweet priest, secrets soon start catching up with them. Before he knows it, the two are mired in crime, blood, and zombies.

As each disaster falls at their feet, Percy’s hapless and hilarious attempts to pretend to be good pull them both deeper into a web of lies, leaving Joe wondering, has he made the worst mistake of his life? Or could Percy really be the happy ending Joe’s always dreamed of?

REVIEW: ⟫ An absolute rollicking ride of a story, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into! Percy and Joe are stupidly in love with each other – I say stupidly because they are both hiding things about themselves in an attempt to fit the ‘image’ of themselves they have presented.

On a number of heists, they get themselves into trouble with zombies, art theft, corrupt priests and human trafficking, and that’s not even getting into all of the dodgy stuff that Percy is involved in! The sex scenes were hot and steamy, with the chemistry between Percy and Joe burning up the page. This reads like a serialisation that has been compiled and I actually really enjoyed the format. It made me feel like I could dip in and out of the book and quickly find my place. There is some major violence, blood and gore (as to be expected with zombies and the like) but the humour permeates the entire story, and even whilst you’re shaking your head at this pair getting into scrapes, you can’t help but cheer them on in their adventures.

I’m looking forward to the second part of this duology which is due out in 2025. I received an ARC from the author.

Get a Fix by Mary Calmes (Torus Intercession Book #6)

TITLE: ⟫ Get a Fix

AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ Torus Intercession Book #6

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Simply because your world collides with a shooting star doesn’t mean that’s a sign, does it?

Cooper Davis has a nice life he’s quite fond of. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a job he excels at. As a fixer with Torus Intercession, he’s entrusted with the well-being of the people relying on his guidance. He is protector, guardian, but most of all, as his boss always says, everyone needs to be better off once he leaves. The issue is, when he’s asked to watch over the actor Ashford Lennox, he’s not sure that leaving is what he wants to do.

Ashford Lennox is a movie star on the rise. He has everything he’s ever wanted, except someone to love and call his own. He’s learned over the years that home is not a place but sharing a life with one special person you can count on. When he meets the man tasked with keeping him safe during a wedding, it’s like a lightning bolt. Suddenly he can see his whole future unfolding.

Being on the same page is an epiphany for both, now if they could just make it to the happily ever after without getting shot…

REVIEW: ⟫ You know exactly what you’re getting when you read a Mary Calmes book, and boo six in this series is no different! There’s an element of insta-love (or more love with intense like) and I really appreciated how open and honest both male leads were with how they felt – from the moment they met, Cooper and Ash were utterly out there with each other and it was refreshing.

The normal case of fun characters, along with a hateful ex, and a background plot that included murder, fraud and international issues, and this was an enjoyable romp that was exactly what I was in the mood for!

Changing the Game by J.J. Mulder (Offsides Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Changing the Game

AUTHOR: ⟫ J.J. Mulder

SERIES: ⟫ Offsides Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Former college hockey player, Sam Jameson, is coming off of a bad summer. After the derailment of his hockey dreams, and a nasty breakup with his girlfriend, he's ready to put his head down and work hard for the South Carolina NHL team. He doesn't count on Troy Nichols, though.

Troy, the star forward for the team, is unexpected in more ways than one. And when sparks fly between the pair, there seems little sense in holding back. Can they make it work, or is this little more than a rebound?

A low angst MM hockey romance. Just a happy, feel-good story about two men falling in love.

REVIEW: ⟫ Well, I’ve been sick again so I needed a nice and easy, feel-good story and this one delivered. The relationship between Sam and Troy was so lovely to read – they were open, honest, caring and very present for each other. There was no subterfuge, no last minute misunderstandings – the author did exactly what they said they would and provided a happy, feel-good story about two men falling in love and I truly enjoyed reading it.

Beyond Reason by Lee McCormick (Beyond Book #2)

TITLE: ⟫ Beyond Reason

AUTHOR: ⟫ Lee McCormick

SERIES: ⟫ Beyond Book #2

RATING: ⟫4.5 /5

BLURB: ⟫ Sometimes the hardest thing is being the only one left alive.

Axel Fetterman: The Cleaner

Twenty-two years ago, my world ended. I was called to a scene to find the man I loved, cold and lifeless, on the ground. Every moment between now and then has been nothing more than existing between one breath and the next while dealing with the grief of losing the one person I couldn’t live without.

When a man shows up at my door telling me he’s Xavier, I don’t know what to believe. On one hand, it’s impossible—on the other, I’ve never met another person who makes me burn the way he does. Is believing in the impossible too good to be true?

Xavier Benham: The Killer For Hire

Twenty-two years ago, I died. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but I’m alive again. Whatever screwed-up experiment brought me here, I won’t waste the opportunity. I can’t remember most of my life. I can’t remember much, but I can remember him.

Axel.

I’ll do whatever I have to if it means getting back to him, and whatever it takes to become the man I used to be. The only thing standing in my way is the company that brought me back and their determination to rectify their mistake.

~~~

Beyond Reason is a dual POV dark romance with a twist on soulmates that answers the question of how long a man can wait for the person he’s destined to be with. Prepare yourself for angst, high heat, high emotions, and a killer for hire who is suddenly thrown into a world he doesn’t understand. Guaranteed HEA with a universe that’s wide open for exploration! Best read after Beyond Time.

REVIEW: ⟫ No, like seriously, who do we have to kill to get a TV series made about these books? I need this in my life – for science or whatever! This book was explosive from the beginning – Xavier and Axel do not have the healthiest relationship – think slamming each other into things, weaponry, lots of kinky sex – and yet by the end of this book, they were pretty much relationship goals. Alongside Seth and Kade – oh my, my appreciation for Seth actually grew.

Apart from the insane relationship dynamics, choosing who I wanted for the next instalment, and biting my nails waiting to see just how damaged these guys were going to be by the time they got their happily ever after (in this lifetime), the plot kept me fascinated, the ideas behind the science were intriguing and troubling, and my admiration for the world that Lee McCormick has created just grew exponentially. If you have read the previous Beyond book, you know the premise, but I still don’t think you’re ready for this ride.

There were times I wanted to kill Xavier myself – he sometimes was more annoying than Kade and that’s saying something – but ultimately, I finished this cheering despite being sick with COVID (again). Petition to live in Lee McCormick’s brain alongside her characters but not as one of the bad bad guys please!

I received an ARC from GRR.

Divine Heart by Garrett Leigh (Rebel Kings MC Book #8)

TITLE: ⟫ Divine Heart

AUTHOR: ⟫ Garrett Leigh

SERIES: ⟫ Rebel Kings Book #8

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ The bestselling Rebel Kings MC series returns with Ranger and Viktor’s long awaited love story. Expect: a damaged Russian mobster and grouchy nomad. Hurt comfort, second chances, forced proximity. Love ain’t true if it doesn’t hurt.

Viktor

The message from my brother lies bold and bright on the screen.

This will be it.

Four words that could mean the end or the beginning. And for many years, as long as my sister was safe, I hadn’t much cared which. But as my gaze falls on the woven thread knotted at my wrist and the rough diamond of a man sleeping beside me, I realise everything has changed.

Ranger.

I want more than a hot summer with him. A handful of stolen nights. I don’t deserve him—no one does. But true to the fear I’ve carried since I met him, I can’t give him up.

We survive together, or we die.

And if we live?

I will love his divine heart forever.

Divine Heart is the eighth book in the Rebel Kings MC series. A sizzling MM love story with all the trigger warnings you’d expect from a gripping biker romance.

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh my heart!! I have been saving this ARC for when I really and truly felt I could give it my full attention – COVID and an ear infection, followed by an eye infection has made reading a chore. But it was so incredibly worth the weight.

This wasn’t the action-based story that the last few stories in the Rebel Kings series has been – this was all about the heart, about trust, about making the people you love safe. Ranger and Vik wormed their way into my heart in much the way other characters by Garrett Leigh have done, and I shall keep them safe – rereading their time spent on Satsuma Island as they let down their guard, shared their fears and became one of the absolute best couples in this series.

We have the Russian mafia, Albanians, Alexei, Cam and Saint, children, the most perfect dog in existence and we have a love story that made me tear up more than once. I cannot believe what a stranglehold this book had on me – I began reading it at 11.30 am and finished it just after 2 pm. I feel like I have lived a thousand lives reading this. I was scared about who we might lose and how we might lose them; entranced by the lives that are being built by the Rebel Kings, and in awe of the family Garrett Leigh has written.

I know that there are a couple of stories still to be told – specifically what was happening in places other than Satsuma Island, and I have a hankering to see if Jake ever gets a happily ever after – but either way, this was a perfect, albeit bittersweet, ending to the Rebels’ saga. I’m listening to Sinead O Connor, Nothing Compares to U whilst I am writing this review and it is incredibly apt – I can’t think of another series out there that compares to this one.

I received an ARC from GRR.