His by Daniel May

Title: ⟫ His

Author: ⟫ Daniel May

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ Lucas Russo was never a child. He was raised like a soldier, trained like a dog to hunt down his master’s enemies.

Shane Case was barely a man. Unraveled by grief, he kidnapped two children to follow in his footsteps, to shape in his image and continue his mission of vengeance.

Lucas never forgave Shane, because forgiveness is something reserved for the living. So is hate. With Shane gone, all Lucas has left are hot, guilty memories he denies to himself as he continues the hunt alongside his brother. Many things in Lucas died with Shane, but desire was not one of them.

But Shane is not dead.

Now Lucas hunts his old warden, seeking Shane’s ghost in both dreams and waking world, haunted by memories of his fists, his mouth, his cruelty. And more than haunted, Lucas is hungry — hungry for answers. For a reckoning. Hungry for the love of the man who stole his childhood.

His is part one of a dark, age gap MM romance.

Review: ⟫ It would be disingenuous of me not to mention that I had some thoughts about the potential plot bunnies for this half of a tale. Two brothers, hunting monsters in an American muscle car much beloved by the older one; a missing father – if your mind goes in a certain direction, I am with you. Add to that, the missing father figure who had a complicated and entangled relationship with the older son, and it sounds a lot like a few stories I’ve read.

This is difficult to review simply because it is only half of the story. Lucas – and the inner writhings of his mind – were fascinating, as was his relationship with his brother, Nicky. Lucas is completely and utterly obsessed with Shane, their pseudo father figure, who died three years ago – his mind creates memories and he self-medicates with weed to handle the chaos in his head. This is very much the back story – how Lucas came to be the man that he is, why he is obsessed with Shane and how much the need and desire for that man rules his life.

I would say it isn’t so much of a romance because Shane doesn’t come back on the scene until very late into the book. How Lucas finds him is fascinating, and their first real time spent together in three years is hot and terrifying in equal measure. But the story is most definitely only half-told and as such, it’s really difficult to rate this story. I don’t think there is any way to read this as a standalone and I await the publication of part two in September to complete the picture.

As always, May writes with assured confidence, pulling you easily into the story and the calibre of the writing isn’t in question – I think that I personally would have preferred it if the two halves had been published together.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Last Man Standing by Augustus Roth

Title: ⟫ Last Man Standing 

Author: ⟫ Augustus Roth 

Blurb: ⟫ “You know, if anybody was going to give death the middle finger, I would have thought it would be him.” 

Ezekiel 'Kel' Warbis is the last of them - the only one left after his two best friends (and childhood sweethearts) died tragically and gruesomely young. 

Over a decade later, their loss is still a fresh wound. Kel works alone as a private investigator, wandering through the world functional but aimless, trying to live up to what his friends would have wanted for him. 

He has one friend, a handful of dogs, and a well-organized spice cabinet. He tries. 

His numb reverie is broken by a phone call: noisy teenagers, begging his help finding their missing friend. Guilt compels Kel to take the case - guilt, and an eerie sense of familiarity. 

As he searches for the missing teen, it becomes increasingly clear that this tragedy rhymes with his own. By the time things become dangerous, it's too late for Kel to turn back. He can only move forward, confronted with answers to questions he was always too ashamed and too terrified to ask. 

He comes to realize that his loved ones might not be gone forever... and that the truth may be more horrible than the bloody memories which echo in his dreams every night. 

Last Man Standing was originally published as Spoiling the Machine by Daniel May. It is a supernatural thriller with a tragic MMM romance at its core and contains a HEA ending. 

Review: ⟫ I’m not sure ‘enjoy’ is the correct word to use to describe reading this book. I was fascinated, repelled, confused and impressed, sometimes all at the same time. And I wanted to know what was going on – although, having finished it, I’m still not sure I fully understand – so I kept reading, hoping that the ending would be satisfying and make sense of it all. 

The ending was satisfying but I am still confused. I think I’m going to be avoiding anything resembling eyes for a very long time, and some of the imagery I would really like to be purged from my mind. I would recommend this book because it was an interesting read – extremely well-written, thoughtful and thought-provoking. 

Just don’t expect to find it a comfortable read! 

4/5 from me – I received an ARC from GRR.

The Final Stroke by Daniel May (Taste of Ink #3)

Title: ⟫ The Final Stroke (The Taste of Ink Part 3)
Author: ⟫ Daniel May
Blurb: ⟫ “I’m not a people person, but I’m also not an idiot. I know what it looks like when someone is trying their best to sabotage a good thing.”

Trinket’s affair is coming to a close. After living with boyfriend Zee and side piece Mini under one roof for weeks, his ability to play the game has finally hit a wall. It isn’t just guilt, and it isn’t just the impracticality of cheating on Zee right under his nose. It’s the fact that Zee and Mini actually seem to <i>like</i> each other.

Zee’s patience seems like it can hold out forever, his care for Trinket expanding to cover the abrasive tattoo artist. As Mini settles in as house-guest, he gets cozy with more than Zee’s credit card. The two of them talk art, kink, and baggage. Opening up comes alongside new opportunities in the bedroom, and the inevitable question of ‘What’s next?’

When the time comes, Trinket isn’t the only one finally forced to make a choice.

Review: ⟫ I didn’t think this series could get any hotter but I was so, so wrong! How Trinket didn’t explode with having Mini and Zee under the same roof, I really don’t know! The relationship between Zee and Mini is incredible – it was like two lions circling each other and I was on the edge of my seat, wondering when/if they were going to attack each other!

I really didn’t know how this whole situation was going to be resolved – I couldn’t see how there could be a happy ever after with how things had started and I was fascinated to see just where it was going to go.

Daniel May handled this whole thing masterfully – Trinket, Mini and Zee felt real; their reactions, emotions, actions – it all felt real and I was immersed from the first page to the last. I wasn’t sure if there was any way in which I could be satisfied with how this trilogy ended but I completely am. There are too many ways in which I could spoil things and I am trying to be as vague as possible. All I can say is if you can get past the cheating angle, this series is a hot, intense read and I cannot recommend it enough.

5/5 from me and I may re-read once I’ve managed to get my brain cells together after reading all three of these books in one weekend.

I received an ARC from GRR. 

The Taste of Ink by Daniel May (Taste of Ink #1)

Title: ⟫ The Taste of Ink 

Author: ⟫ Daniel May 

Blurb: ⟫ "If he gives you everything you need, then why are you here?" 

 Trinket has everything he wants, and it’s not enough. 

Perfect boyfriend, Siebold AKA ‘Zee,’ adores him. It took years of mutual pining to confess their feelings, and Trinket should be elated to finally have what he wanted — but the night of their confession went horribly wrong. 

Two years later their relationship has yet to recover. 

Zee has the love, the money, the unending patience, but it isn’t enough. Trinket is still insecure in bed — even afraid. Despite his best efforts, Zee can do no right. 

Tattoo artist Mini can do no wrong. 

From the minute he and Trinket met — when Trinket tried in vain to mend his relationship with a two-year anniversary tattoo — no taboo has been off the table. 

Trinket didn’t mean to cheat. 

But he also doesn’t mean to stop, or to leave his boyfriend. For the first time in his life, he plans to get everything he needs, or lose it all trying. Everything will change — not just for himself, but for the two men he can't possibly choose between. 

The Taste of Ink is book one in a high heat, slow burn MMM trilogy with a happy ending. This trilogy was originally published as a series of seven books: A Taste of Ink, Lost in the Linework, A Guilty Canvas, A Stanza on Skin, A Darker Palette, The Color of Need, and a Final Stroke. The Taste of Ink contains content from the first three books. It has been lightly revised, with a few small changes and an extended ending in the third book. 

Review: ⟫ First of all, if cheating is a trigger for you, then don’t even think about picking up this book – the storyline is all about the cheating and the effects on the main relationship and there is no way to avoid it. 

With that out of the way, holy moly, Daniel May has done it again! 

This book is so hot, it’s practically steaming. 

As a person who has more than their fair share of tattoos, I completely agreed with what Mini said: once you’ve had one, you’re already planning the second on and so on. However, I have never had the reaction that Trinket has, and I’ve certainly never had that interaction with any of my tattoo artists (shame!) 

Trinket is fascinating – he seems so completely unaware of himself, of his feelings and watching as Mini peels back the layers of his character whilst tattooing him is completely fascinating. 

And his relationship with Zee is a bit like car-crash TV. You almost read the story between your fingers, waiting for disaster to strike with how completely Trinket is stumbling through this situation. 

The story is about Trinket figuring himself out as a person apart from Zee, learning his power and also what makes him tick. 

It is also incredibly hot and steamy, with some sections that literally made me feel hot and bothered in the extreme. I cannot wait for the next in the series as I found myself desperate to find out what happens between Mini and Trinket when Trinket doesn’t have to go home to his lover. 

I’ve never ready anything like this and completely loved it. 5/5 from me. 

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.

War Games by Daniel May (The Hanged Men #2)

Title: ⟫ War Games (The Hanged Men #2)
Author: ⟫ Daniel May
Blurb: ⟫ Sons of opposing mob bosses, secretly married when they were seventeen, Nerva Alms and Joseph Pascal were doomed from the start.

After his father's gruesome murder, Pascal was mutilated and banished, and Nerva grew to replace his own father as head of the Hanged Men. Now, ten years later, Pascal has returned.

War Games is book two in the Hanged Men series, following Blood Sports. While War Games is standalone, the story is best understood in the context of the first book.

Reviews: ⟫ I discovered that this had come out from a post on Reddit and you better believe I switched to my Amazon tab so fast I gave myself whiplash!

If book one was a laugh alongside the horror, book two is a different beast. It comes after the events of the first book, but Daniel has provided a handy recap at the beginning and it can be read as a stand-alone.

The beginning of this book was torturous – my heart broke in several places for both Nerva and Pascal. Imagine finding your person at such a young, impressionable age and then losing them – completely devastating. Which explained why Nerva appeared so cold and unfeeling to everyone. And then we met Pascal.

When people talk about a roller-coaster of emotions, this book encompasses that feeling. Sorrow, fear, confusion, hysterical laughter – all in a matter of chapters and sometimes within just one of them. There are flashbacks – some of them sweet, some painful – with an underlying story/mystery slowly unravelling for Nerva and Pascal that made me feel sick at the world they live in whilst completely enthralled.

There’s no real way to talk about this book without spoilers, but Mars is my second favourite character if only for the attitude. Hadrian remains my favourite and I need a story with him because I think it would be amazingly chaotic and astounding! The special horses make another appearance – in the background and then more and more integral to the storyline – and I still can’t decide how I feel about them. I think I’ll settle for terror and stick around Nerva’s level when it comes to the horses.

This was a fantastic read and more than satisfied my itch for the Hanged Man – for a short time anyway. A hearty 5/5 from me.

The Guilty Canvas by Daniel May (The Taste of Ink Part 2)

Title: ⟫ The Guilty Canvas (The Taste of Ink Part 2) 

  Author: ⟫ Daniel May 

Blurb: ⟫ “If he gives you everything you need, then why are you here?”   

Trinket has everything he wants, and it’s not enough.   Perfect boyfriend, architect Siebold AKA ‘Zee,’ adores him. Originally best friends, it took them a long time to confess their feelings, and Trinket should be elated to finally have what he always wanted.   

But the night of their confession went horribly wrong. Two years later, their relationship has yet to recover. Zee has the love, the money, the unending patience, but it isn’t enough. Trinket is still insecure in bed — even afraid. Despite his best efforts, Zee can do no right.   

Tattoo artist Mini can do no wrong. From the minute he and Trinket met — when Trinket tries in vain to mend his relationship with a two-year anniversary tattoo — no taboo has been off the table.   

Trinket didn’t mean to cheat.   

But he also doesn’t mean to stop, or to leave his boyfriend. For the first time in his life, he plans to get everything he needs… or lose it all trying.   

  The Guilty Canvas is the second book in the revised Taste of Ink trilogy. It was originally published as the fourth through sixth books (A Stanza on Skin, A Darker Palette, and The Color of Need). The books contain one continuous plot-line, share the same characters, and cannot be read as standalone.   

The trilogy is an extremely high heat, slow burn MMM with a happy ending. 

  Review: ⟫ I’ll admit, I half thought that as this was part two of the trilogy that it might be a kind of ‘holding’ book but I was completely and utterly wrong. With Zee away, Trinket goes to stay with Mini to fully experience what they can be together, even though he has absolutely no intentions of leaving Zee. 

 And oh boy, does Mini deliver on the new experiences. I absolutely loved how well Mini seemed to understand Trinket – how he reins him in whilst allowing him to learn more about himself and what he desires. I also really enjoyed the way in which Trinket began to come into his power – he was beginning to really get the effect he had on Mini as well as Zee – and appreciate that he wasn’t just a cipher, there for other people’s desires. Trinket is really coming into his own. 

 The situation with Zee – how Trinket is taking what he learns from Mini and incorporating it into his relationship with Zee – was fascinating, and we get more of an insight into their whole thing. There is more detail on how they got together, that infamous night, and just how much Zee is under Trinket’s spell. 

 Zee became more of a real person in this instalment, which was fascinating since the premise of the book was ostensibly to show Trinket and Mini having uninterrupted time together. 

 Again, this was an extremely hot read, with Mini teaching Trinket some of the intricacies of BDSM – heavy on the sane, safe and consensual. This felt much less like a car-crash waiting to happen and more like a window into people’s lives, and an absolutely fascinating view it was too. I don’t know just how this is going to turn into a HEA but I cannot wait to find out! 

 Another 5/5 from me – insightful, sexy, fascinating, well-written and absolutely intriguing story. 

 I received an ARC from GRR.