The Alien Emissary by Eryn Ivers (Interspecies Alliances #0.5)

Title: ⟫ The Alien Emissary (Interspecies Alliances #0.5)

Author: ⟫ Eryn Ivers

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ The metal tentacles tightened around Bryant’s wrists and for the first time in years he finally felt...safe.

When Bryant breaks into the ship of a powerful Qeshian emissary, he knows he might get caught. But he needs the money to save his daughter, and for her anything is worth the risk.

What Bryant doesn’t know is that Emissary Serihk can see everything that happens on his ship, and he’s got enough flex metal tentacles packed into its every nook and cranny to do something about it.

But when Serihk has Bryant bound and kneeling on the floor, the feelings the human brings out in him are far from vengeful..

Review: ⟫ This novella was sexy and sweet and an excellent introduction to the series. It includes a very interesting take on tentacle sex whilst also having a very human element to it.

Bryant’s reasons for doing what he’s doing set the scene very clearly for how much his daughter means to him – there isn’t much he wouldn’t do for her, and it’s been a weight on his shoulders for so long. Letting go – thinking that he has nothing to fight for any longer – frees him in ways he could never have imagined and he discovers something in Serihk he could never have even dreamed of.

Although we learn less about Serihk, what we do know shows him to be good. He has never felt the way that Bryant makes him feel and he struggles trying to find a way to show that – misunderstandings between the two of them make for some pining that is really sweet.

The side characters – Serihk’s bodyguard and Bryant’s daughter – are delightful, and I really enjoyed reading this story. The sex was tender, alien with more than a hint of BDSM, and I was fascinated by the idea of the entire ship being an extension of Serihk. This is the introduction to a series and I will be keeping an eye out for the following stories.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Dirty Love by Bethany Winters

Title: ⟫ Dirty Love

Author: ⟫ Bethany Winters

Rating: ⟫ 5/5

Blurb: ⟫ In a small town like ours, you’re either straight or you keep your mouth shut.

Being gay would be dirty.

Touching the guy who’s been your little brother since you were three would be dirty.

Falling in love with him would be even worse.

I protect him because it’s my job.

I resist him because I have to.

But when one night leads to two and two nights lead to more, lines are blurred and morals are tossed and my sanity takes a walk.

Now we’re risking everything we have for something we know we shouldn’t want.

And the only thing we’ll have left is each other.

This is a 60,000 word, M/M, dark high school, stepbrothers-to-lovers romance with themes some readers might find offensive.

Complete standalone with a HEA and no cliffhanger. 

Review: ⟫ Have you ever had the hankering to read something dirty/bad/wrong? Like, the kind of book that you’d hide from your Mom even at the grand old age of *well over 21*, full of red flags, drugs and just downright WTF? Okay, then you might be looking for this book.

To be fair, our male leads are stepbrothers so the whole incest thing isn’t quite there, but they were brought up together from the age of three so there’s that.

Kade is the older brother – by a whole three months I believe – and has been protecting Nicky from everything from a young age. Everything includes a father who murdered their mother and regularly beats Kade – adding being gay to that would paint a target on Nicky’s back that even Kade couldn’t protect him from. Kade is protective, possessive, obsessive and sounds hot in all the wrong ways, including how he treats his on-again/off-again girlfriend and the animalistic way he makes money by bare-knuckle fighting on the weekends.

Nicky isn’t a dreamer – life would have beaten that out of him years ago – but he is much more in touch with his emotions than Kade. And from a young age, his emotions have fixed on Kade as his safe place. His everything. He’s not ashamed of being gay or being in love with his brother, but he is understandably scared.

The warnings about this book being dark were not kidding – there is no fade to black when it comes to the violence and drug-taking, and that might not be to everyone’s taste.

I was so in the mood for this book and it didn’t fail to deliver in any way. I didn’t care about things that I might ordinarily nit-pick because I was too busy devouring the whole book in one sitting. I picked it up this morning and read it immediately and when I finished, I was literally sitting there with a huge grin of satisfaction on my face. The sex scenes were hot and steamy; the whole bantering, snarky vibe between Kade and Nicky was so my cup of tea, and how the story was handled worked for me on every level.

Especially when we meet the boys’ uncle.

I’ve grabbed the other book by the author that I could find even though it’s M/F which I haven’t really had any luck with this year because I really loved the style of writing and wanted to read more.

If after reading the warnings – and other reviews – you think you might want to take a chance on this book, I don’t think you’ll regret it!

An Unexpected Gift by Harper Robson (Hot Dam Homes Christmas)

Title: ⟫ An Unexpected Gift: a Hot Dam Homes Christmas

Author: ⟫ Harper Robson

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ Matt

Discovering you're not as straight as you thought when you're in your mid-forties is… well… interesting. But a one-night stand over a year ago turned my world upside down, and now I'm ready to explore that side of myself. But no matter who I date, no one compares to him.

Case

I'm the party guy, always down for a good time with only one rule: I don't do repeats. I knew right away, though, that one night with Matt would never be enough. But when I woke up, he was gone, and I can't get him out of my head.

When we somehow end up trapped together during the blizzard of the century, over Christmas, I'm not sure if it's a gift or a curse. Should I hold tight to the rule that’s kept my heart safe for years? Or does it mean something that we’ve found each other again after a night neither one of us could forget?

Review: ⟫ This was such a sweet story, with both men being open to the idea that this person they met by chance could well be something new, something different.

Matt has never even considered the fact that he might be interested in men, having married his childhood sweetheart and only recently getting divorced. I liked how he didn’t freak out, how he allowed his feelings to guide him and I especially liked the way he let Case take the lead – their sex scenes were both sexy and sweet, with Case taking care of Matt so lovingly it was beautiful.

With Case’s past, I could well understand his cautiousness when it came to relationships – his experiences had taught him that life and love can be fleeting and he wanted to protect himself as much as possible Even so, when life gave him a second chance with Matt, I was really impressed with his willingness to dive right in, even whilst his brain was warning him of all the things that could go wrong.

Stuck in a luxurious cabin in the middle of a snow-storm seems like the right way to finally fall in love to me, and I appreciated the fact that the women in both of these men’s lives were prepared to tell them the whole truth, give them a bit of tough love, and a quick shove in the right direction.

This was a sweet, romantic, pleasing read for the Christmas holidays and I may keep an eye out for other stories in the Hot Dam Homes series. I received an ARC from GRR.

Champagne Charade by Leighton Greene (Friends of Friends #5)

Title: ⟫ Champagne Charade (Friends of Friends #5)

Author: ⟫ Leighton Greene

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ It was supposed to be fun - but things are getting too real, too fast.

After I got dumped, I never got around to telling my best friend. Why relive the pain? But his New Year’s Eve wedding is coming up soon, and I also never got around to removing my ex from the guest list.

Cue my current hookup and Dom-on-demand, Damon Kirk, joking that he could stand in as my ex. A fake name, a fake relationship…

It’s a terrible idea. Of course I’m not going to do it.

But when I run into my best friend unexpectedly, I can’t bring myself to interrupt his dream wedding, and the little white lie just…

Slips out.

It’s only for the wedding. Only for New Year’s Eve. One little charade…

I know Damon isn’t interested in anything real. I know all those kisses and hugs are just for show. But I still can’t help falling under his spell.

I have to remember: after the wedding - and the year - is over, so is our fake relationship.

The clock is ticking down…

But what if our charade isn’t just an act?

***

Champagne Charade is a 31,000-word novella wrapping up the kinky Friends of Friends series with humor, heart, and a whole lot of heat. Say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new with this fake relationship romance, including hookups pining for more, a winter wedding for old friends, and a fresh start for everyone at the stroke of midnight.

Review: ⟫ This was a lot of fun to read.

The beginning – oh my, it should come with a warning! The book begins with a scene between Damon and Tyler that is hot, kinky and dirty and I really thought that was how the rest of the book was going to go. Boy, was I surprised because this entire book was about feelings (interspersed with hot sex). Tyler doesn’t want to worry his friends, but he also doesn’t want to be pitied by them which makes things complicated. On the one hand, he’s doing this whole charade to ensure that his best friend, Jonny, is concentrating on his wedding rather than worrying about Tyler. On the other hand, he doesn’t want to find himself at the other end of well-meaning comments and match-making attempts that make him feel like a project.

Damon tells Tyler that he is using the fake relationship weekend as a way to avoid his ex, but it pretty soon becomes obvious that he has some intense feelings for Tyler that he is too scared to say, Which is how he finds himself in the uncomfortable position of lying to a bunch of strangers who seem to be watching his every move to figure out if he is good enough for their friend.

I really enjoyed catching up with the characters from the previous books and seeing how their HEA is going, but this story was most definitely about Tyler and Damon and about the need for them to confess the truth – to Tyler’s friends and to each other. A quick, satisfying read with some laugh out loud moments – wedding planning should come with a warning and a large bottle of alcohol – as well as some sexy ones, with a heart-warming happy ending.

I received an ARC from GRR.

A Monstrous Christmas Time in the Camp by Lily Mayne

Title: ⟫ A Monstrous Christmas in the Camp

Author: ⟫ Lily Mayne

Rating: ⟫ 5/5

Blurb: ⟫ A 34.5k word short for Christmas 2022! This short sees the Nebraska camp celebrating a (late) Christmas, with lots of food and gift-giving and *ahem* other stuff.

It features every POV of the Monstrous lads so far! (Plus Anchor!)

I hope you enjoy, and, if you celebrate it, have a lovely Christmas. Otherwise, have a restful winter break.

Content warnings: Oh boy here we go: Explicit sexual content, 18+ only, mentions of death and grief, alcohol consumption, pimple popping, blood and pus (Wyn hates pus!), groping in public (Charlie you bastard), restraint, use of sex toys, very brief mention of Moth’s past abuse, mentions of anxiety, squirrel, Edin flashes everyone, Hunter has unique feelings about Mrs Claus, chastity, lingerie, Wyn being a filthy old man, my poor sweet Danny goes through some things, graphic description of death, mentions of nausea and an instance of vomiting, inhuman genitalia

Spoiler warning: Set after the events of Seraph (Monstrous: Book Six)

Review: ⟫ Oh Lord, this was so much fun to read!! If you’ve enjoyed the Monstrous series by Lily Mayne, then you will love this Christmas catch up with our monsters and their humans!

This is a fun look at Christmas in the camp, with the monsters all determined to make it a wonderful time for their humans before things get heavy in the next part of their journey. We get POV from nearly all of our monsters (I don’t think Aury has a chapter) as well as scenes of a domestic nature that will make you go aww.

The laughs come thick and fast – who knew that Wyn was a sporner?! – as well as seeing how well the monsters have integrated into the camp. Edin needs to come with a warning because the imagery I got from this story keeps making me giggle at inappropriate times – there is actually art on Lily’s website that shows the outfit!

I think Seraph may well be my favourite monster simply because of how sweet he is and the fact that I adore Lilac, but it was brilliant to catch up with them all, This is available on Lily Mayne’s website/newsletter.

Point of No Return by N.R. Walker (Turning Point Series : Book #1)

Title: ⟫ Point of No Return (Turning Point Series: Book One)

Author: ⟫ N.R. Walker

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ Matthew Elliot is one of LA's best detectives. He's been labelled the golden boy of the Fab Four; a team of four detectives who've closed down drug-rings all over the city. He’s smart, tough and exceptionally good at his job.

He's also a closeted gay man.

Enter Kira Takeo Franco, the new boxing coach at the gym. Matthew can't deny his immediate attraction to the man his fellow cops know as Frankie. But in allowing himself to fall in love with a man known to his colleagues, Matthew risks outing them both. Matt and Kira work to keep their relationship and private lives hidden from Matt's very public life, fearing it would be detrimental to their careers.

But it's not the other cops who Matthew should be worried about finding out his deepest, darkest secret... it's the bad guys.

Review: ⟫ When you’re less than 33% through a book and I love yous have been exchanged, you know things are about to get gnarly. And, boy, did they get gnarly in this book.

I really liked both Kira and Matt – they were both in an extremely difficult position with regards to their careers so it made perfect sense that they didn’t want to risk being caught initially. And I really loved how they both respected that for each other, communicated about it, and found ways to be together anyway.

The romance was quick but it made sense, and seeing them together was really sweet and lovely, especially once Kira’s parents were on the scene. However, when the bad guys came into play, things got really scary and nasty and I was almost biting my nails. The manner in which they were outed was really scary and worked very well, and I thought the reactions of Matt’s colleagues was realistic.

I hated what happened to Kira and was with Matt all the way in wanting to kill the bad guy – he definitely deserved a good killing. I also really loved the way the fabulous four put everything aside to figure things out and the way it all happened was masterful – I was practically cheering when I read it.

What I didn’t like? I didn’t like Kira flirting with someone else to pay Matt back for something, although I could understand why he was mad. I also didn’t like the ending because it felt like a HFN rather than a HEA. I’m just really glad that I don’t have to wait to read the next book because I would probably be seething. I would definitely recommend giving this a read if you are looking for something hot, sweet and thrilling and am planning on heading into book two as soon as my TBR pile goes down a little!

Omega for Sale by Beau Brown

Title: ⟫ Omega for Sale

Author: ⟫ Beau Brown

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ Omega Atlas Payne never imagined he’d be at The Auction being ogled by rich alphas. He had bigger plans for his life that didn’t include being an incubator to some alpha’s offspring. But when his father disgraces his family name, it’s either sell himself to the highest bidder or starvation.

Alpha Dante Stone is still grieving the loss of his omega a decade later. He has zero interest in taking a new omega. Still, he’s inexplicably drawn to the young omega who seems completely out of place at The Auction.

When it looks as if the nastiest alpha at The Auction is about to win Atlas, something inside Dante snaps, and he buys Atlas himself.

But once he has Atlas in his home, he has no idea what to do with him. He craves Atlas but is too guilt-ridden to give either of them what they instinctively want.

Then fate steps in and things get crazier.

Review: ⟫ Obligatory I haven’t read this author before, which I’m surprised at because I do enjoy reading omegaverse and Mpreg on occasion.

Atlas has found himself in a dire position through no fault of his own and is now selling himself at The Auction – and he’s caught the attention of a pretty unsavoury Alpha.

Dante Stone is at The Auction through obligation rather than desire – he has no need for an omega as having lost is fated mate he has absolutely no interest in acquiring a new omega. However, something about Atlas catches his eye and he finds it impossible to allow the beautiful omega to fall into the hands of an alpha who has proven to be abusive in the past. Unfortunately, he then has to figure out what to do about said omega – whilst fighting feelings he hasn’t felt in a very long time.

To be perfectly honest, Dante was a bit of an AH at the beginning (and quite a long way into the story), and to the author’s credit, he didn’t try to even pretend that it was okay. His behaviour towards Atlas was rude, confusing and despicable and his grief was no excuse. On the other hand, Atlas was ungrateful, stubborn and on occasion really rude so they made quite the pair.

The chemistry between them was palpable and there was more than one occasion when I wanted to slap both of them upside the head and tell them to get out of their own way. Fortunately for me, we had Ronin for that (I really liked Ronin) and Finlay proved himself to be a good friend to both of them.

I would call this relatively low on angst, but there were definitely ups and downs for the couple before they found their HEA. I absolutely hated Mrs. Gentry and wouldn’t have been anywhere near as forgiving as Atlas with regards to the things she said and did. The sex scenes were steamy and I enjoyed reading this and am happy to see that the author has quite a substantial back catalogue for me to explore.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Trouble by Roe Horvat (Winter Sun #3)

Title: ⟫ Trouble

Author: ⟫ Roe Horvat

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ Hugh has been in love with Kirby for years, which either makes him the most foolish or the most patient alpha on the planet. Because Kirby Matthews, the famous porn star and omega of everyone’s wet dreams, is resolutely single. But Hugh knows the real Kirby underneath the armor of glamour and snark. When an opportunity arises to be with him during heat, Hugh will do whatever it takes—even get naked in front of the cameras.

Kirby has made it big time, from homelessness to international stardom. He can now enjoy the small things like the feeling of silk on his skin, long showers, and cupcakes. Life is comfortingly simple. But then his longtime crush auditions for a role in his next film, and Kirby is torn. Getting entangled with a close friend, a member of his makeshift family, is a certifiably stupid idea. But saying no to Hugh? Beefy arms, shaved head, and growly voice—all rough alpha, but with a ridiculously soft heart… How is Kirby supposed to resist such temptation?

The most anticipated porn flick of the year, starring Kirby Matthews in heat. Ten days on set, with no privacy and no space to explore their feelings. You can’t fall in love while filming porn, right?

Trouble is an omegaverse erotic romance featuring high heat, friends to lovers, hurt/comfort. HEA, standalone.

Review: ⟫ Roe Horvat has managed to make filming porn not just hot but romantic. Initially, I was a little confused with the time jumps, but the storyline pulled me in very easily and I enjoyed the set-up for the romance.

Kirby appears to have zero inhibitions when it comes to sex – the scene with three alphas seemed to confirm that – but we discover during his time with Hugh that no one has ever truly just wanted to make him feel good. Hugh comes through with that in a touching, sexy and sensitive manner, and I admit I had a tear in my eye with a certain scene involving simply being covered by a blanket.

I enjoyed seeing the previous couples and Burke as an over-protective daddy made me smile. A very enjoyable addition to the series.

Warning: Kirby does porn and there is an explicit scene with three other men in case this is a trigger for anyone. There is no cheating in this book.

The King's Delight by Sarah Honey

Title: ⟫ The King’s Delight

Author: ⟫ Sarah Honey

Rating: ⟫ 4.5

Blurb: ⟫ King Leopold of Lilleforth rules his kingdom well. He’s handsome, intelligent, and charming. It’s no wonder the neighbouring kingdoms are eager to provide him with a princess to marry. There’s just one problem—Leo has no interest in princesses. His tastes tend more towards handsome young men who enjoy a good spanking.

Felix Hobson left the kingdom of Lilleforth as a teenager to train as a groom. While he was away he learned a lot, and not all of it had to do with horses—although riding crops were definitely involved. Now an adult, Felix is home to take up the position of royal groom, where he hopes he'll have plenty of opportunities for a roll in the hay.

When Felix mistakes Leopold for a horse thief and attempts to seduce him, Leopold is delighted by the irreverent, attractive lad, and sparks fly. Their arrangement is all fun and games, right until they both fall hard and fast. But while what they have together is a delight, there’s no way it can last—can it?

They’ll have to navigate a visiting princess, an assassination attempt, and a kidnapping if they want a chance to find out.

Review: ⟫ This was a romp almost in the style of The Princess Bride and it definitely worked for me. Felix and Leopold were a delightful couple who showed mutual respect and understanding as well as scorching hot chemistry. I loved the characterisations, the world building and the story-line as the two of them fell in love and handled things within the kingdom.

Matthias and Sophia were lovely together, and I found Mother and the stable-lads charming and amusing. Low angst, relatively steamy and more than a little kinky, I really enjoyed reading this story and will be looking into the collaborations by this author as well as any future solo efforts.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Heart2Heart (Charity Anthology) Volume #6 - Part II

Title: ⟫ Heart2Heart – A Charity Anthology (Collection) Volume #6

Authors: ⟫ Various

Blurb: ⟫ Once upon a time, a bunch of authors wondered... what would happen if Heart2Heart, the dating app responsible for pairing up the quirkiest, most perfect couples, brought people together by asking the questions they never knew they needed answered?

From learning each other’s secret zombie survival skills, to disputing the greatest starship captain ever, to confessing their feelings about Cornish pasties, the characters in these fourteen brand new stories inspired by reader suggestions will learn that no matter how random the question… love is always the answer.

And, as always, all proceeds from this anthology will benefit LGBTQ+ charities to ensure that love in all its incarnations will be celebrated and protected every day of the year!

Stories included in this collection are:

Heist of Hearts, by Alice Winters

Keeping Him in Cornwall, by Con Riley

Hate 2 Love U, by Daryl Banner

Love Down Under, by Eden Finley

Rock, Paper, Scissors, by Kate Hawthorne

Dog Days, by Kelly Fox

The London Chance, by Lane Hayes

My Darcy, by Lily Morton

A Drag Made in Heaven, by Max Walker

Connection, by Nicole Dykes

Worst. Date. Ever., by Onley James

Down the Mountain, by Rachel Ember

The Anti-Wingman, by Saxon James

The Choice, by Sloane Kennedy

Review: ⟫ This is the second review for this anthology – the original one was an ARC where I received only some of the stories.

Heist of Hearts, by Alice Winters

A bit of a comedy caper masquerading as a date. Reece is fast-talking and wise-cracking whilst Daryl is quietly supportive in a gentle giant kind of way. Not much in the way of romance and flashbacks explain their relationship. Sweet and funny, ⟫ 3.5

Keeping Him In Cornwall by Con Riley

This was sweet and relaxing to read. ⟫ 3.5

Dog Days by Kelly Fox

I haven’t read anything by Kelly Fox before but will be having a look at their back catalogue after this. This was a sexy, funny and touching read. The descriptions of characters – particularly Dame Judi – were evocative and I really enjoyed the story. ⟫ 4.5

Love Down Under by Eden Finley

This one made me laugh a lot! I have a great appreciation for snarky banter and sarcasm and this story had both of those in spades. The relationship between the leads was nicely done and I very much enjoyed their happily ever after. ⟫ 4.5

Hate 2 Love U, by Daryl Banner

Another nice, easy read. ⟫ 3.5

The London Chance by Lane Hayes

I didn’t connect to this one at all – in fact, I think it may be the only story in the anthology that I didn’t finish.

A Drag Made in Heaven, by Max Walker

A simple, sweet read ⟫ 3

Connection, by Nicole Dykes

Instagrammer meets tattoo artist on island paradise and they have a fling that turns into more. Sweet with some hot parts, but despite the title I felt it was a little ‘light’. Still enjoyed reading it though. ⟫ 3.5

Worst. Date. Ever., by Onley James

My favourite story in the anthology and could very easily fit into Onley’s Necessary Evils verse. A hitman uses a blind date as an alibi and everything goes – well, not wrong -- from there, but it definitely takes a turn! Laugh out loud funny interspersed with hotter than sin read and extremely satisfying read! ⟫ 5

The Choice, by Sloane Kennedy

Thought provoking story about the risks inherent in being your true self around people. I really liked the relationship between the two leads and would be interested in reading this if it was a full length novel rather than having to fit into an anthology. ⟫ 4

Overall, happy to keep my 4.5 rating for the whole anthology and pleased to have found a few new authors to follow.

The Bedroom Coach Agreement by Hayden Hall

Title: ⟫ The Bedroom Coach Agreement

Authors: ⟫ Hayden Hall

Rating: ⟫ 3.5/5

Blurb: ⟫ We’re the least likely couple you’ll ever see. Until the lights go out.

Parker

My brother’s best friend has a secret. And I just happen to know what he does in a hidden down-town apartment at night. In front of a camera. Sculpted like a Greek god, Dayton soon becomes all I want.

But a guy like me could never hope to catch his attention. I’ve never been with anyone. I’ve never even kissed a guy. Hell, not even the strangers on dating apps want to take me out. And my brother’s growing worry that I’ll get my heart broken – or worse – is only making things more complicated.

There’s no pity in Dayton’s eyes when he decides to be my only ally. And there’s no prank behind the spectacular first date I ask him to take me to. Before I know it, I’m doing the very thing my big brother wants to prevent.

I’m falling in love with a guy who claims to be incapable of loving anyone back.

Dayton

My best friend has a younger brother. And he just happens to be a curious and inexperienced freshman. Ginger, sexy, and determined to have the time of his life this semester, Parker quickly becomes my newest obsession.

He wants his first date to be something special. And grand gestures are my speciality. I know all the pitfalls of giving away your V-card. Nobody’s first time should be as cold and careless as mine. A toss of a coin decides it: I am his dating coach. And more.

There’s only one little hiccough in our plan. His big brother must never find out.

Except, when Parker’s soul collides with mine in a night of exploration and delights, I risk more than losing my certified player status. I risk losing the only friendship I preserved through my entire life.

I’m not sure if that’s a risk I’m willing to take.

The Bedroom Coach Agreement is the sixth novel in the Frat Brats of Santa Barbara series. It features an unlikely pairing, big brother’s best friend, and first-time storyline. While this book can be read as a stand-alone, it’s just more fun to read all the books in order, starting with The Fake Boyfriends Debacle.

Review: ⟫ The blurb promised one thing but the story gave me something different but I’m not mad at it. This was jock falls in love with nerd but with some major feelings and I enjoyed it. I found their moments together in the courtyard to be sweet, especially when they just sat in silence and looked at the stars. And when Dayton pulled out all the stops for that first date – yeah, I would have had stars in my eyes.

I loved the camboy moments, especially after Dayton found out that Parker was watching and was ‘acting’ towards him. They were very sexy – very sexy!

I had some minor gripes – the main one being the behaviour of the brother. Perhaps something happened in the previous books in the series that explains his behaviour but it just seemed really over the top and more than a little bizarre to me. I also wasn’t too sure about all of the cameos of characters from previous books – I haven’t read the rest of the series and that might be why they didn’t gel with me, which is a bit of a shame.

All in all, an enjoyable read.

Chrismyths by Amy Lane

Title: ⟫ ChrisMyths

Authors: ⟫ Amy Lane

Rating: ⟫ 5/5

Blurb: ⟫ After courtship, cohabitation, and learning about love and each other, Andy and Eli face the ultimate test: being separated at Christmas.

Eli’s seen the propaganda—the country boy goes home from the city and realizes his heart is back among the snow, trees, and chickens. A big happy family is something Eli, with his demanding job running a shelter for LGBTQ youth, can’t provide. He’s been readying himself for the other shoe to drop anyway—Andy’s mother is a force of nature, and she wants her little boy home.

Andy may be in Vermont, but his heart is back in Brooklyn with the man who’s battling basement floods and crumbling buildings to bring Christmas to sixty kids who’ve had their hearts broken too many times already. Holiday myths may say that Christmas means going back home to a happy family, but Andy knows happy endings don’t come without a little faith and a lot of hard work. He's got an army ready to put in the elbow grease. If he can get Eli to believe in him, they might just save Christmas after all.

Review: ⟫ Well this one hit me right in the Christmas feels – especially as we’re in the process of packing up my youngest kid's stuff for the move into halls of residence in the new year. Who knew apron strings were really this tough to cut!

This was a beautiful story about what Christmas should mean – and it’s not about pageants, Christmas carols, presents or any of the extra stuff. It’s about love, caring, family and just being a good, genuine person. And yes, it made me sniffly more than once – not just at the tales of the kids who live at the shelter, but at how people can pull together and show you their hearts in the best possible way.

If you are looking to get into the Christmas mood, I highly recommend this story. It was sexy, sweet, touching and loving and – even in the tough moments of which there were more than a few – I never once doubted that Amy Lane would make it all okay in the end because she always does!

I received an ARC from the author.

Malum Discordiae by Ashlyn Drewek

Title: ⟫ Malum Discordiae (Tennebrose #1)

Authors: ⟫ Ashlyn Drewek

Rating: ⟫ 4.5/5

Blurb: ⟫ Like all Necromancers, Cassius Corbin grew up knowing one irrevocable truth: death comes for us all. It was a lesson he learned well when his mother was murdered by fellow witches. Six years later, he is back in the town of Winslow, Massachusetts to attend Tennebrose University. But that's not the only reason. While he’s home, he intends to track down a magical folio stolen from his family centuries ago. Once he finds it, he'll finally be everything the witches in Winslow fear and the Corbin name will be respected once again — as long as Graeme Hewitt, the son of his family's arch-enemy, stays out of his way.

As the first weather witch born in a century, the witches in Winslow demand great things from Graeme Hewitt, despite his thoughts on the matter. He’s supposed to be their future, but all Graeme can think about is the past — until the infuriating Cassius Corbin returns. In spite of the blood feud that has raged for centuries between their families, Graeme finds himself in the unfortunate situation of needing Cassius’s help. Six years ago, Graeme’s little brother also died and Graeme wants the truth about what happened that day. So who better to answer his questions than the son of the woman who murdered him?

MALUM DISCORDIAE is a dark academia, paranormal MM romance about witches, Necromancers, and a blood feud that has lasted centuries. It is a stand-alone book of 117K words.  

Content Warning: This book contains references to animal cruelty, alcohol/drug use, death of children, murder, suicide, and dubious consent. Reader discretion is advised. 

Review: ⟫ This book was pretty darn good! The world building for the witches and necromancers and their history was very well done, as was the whole feud thing, and the sharp u-turn that things took so early in the book was an attention grabber. The intricacies of the different types of magic were really well handled, as was slotting the story into ‘history’ which really helped ground it in reality.

Surprising myself, I actually really liked the fact that Graeme kept going back and forth – he had spent his entire life being told one thing and it would have been unrealistic for him to suddenly believe the complete opposite just because Cassius told him so. I enjoyed the background cast of characters, and the overall feeling that no one was safe – it was a bit like watching a movie with an all unknown cast and realising that no one was too big a star to die!

I found the mystery of who the killer was intriguing, and the red herrings were really good! I did guess who was behind it all, but I actually didn’t mind that because the way the story ebbed and flowed really worked for me.

I found Cassius and Graeme both sweet, believable and incredibly snarky – like real, live teenagers which was refreshing. That, and the fact that sex was on their minds A LOT was very realistic.

I was so pleased to see that despite currently being a stand-alone novel, this was labelled as Tennebrose #1 because that hopefully means that there will be more set in this verse – I will be keeping my eyes open if that’s the case. I have found that I either love this author’s work or hate it, so I am extremely pleased to say this is definitely the same calibre as the Kidnapping of Roan Sinclair.