Candy Magic by M.C. Roth (All Hallows' Harem)

TITLE: ⟫ Candy Magic (All Hallows Harem)

AUTHOR: ⟫ M.C. Roth

RATING: ⟫ 2/5

BLURB: ⟫ An All Hallows’ Harem story

Sweeter than candy—hotter than magic.

Crean is trying to leave it all behind—the closet, his overbearing family and, of course, his magic. In a world where vampires and shifters are hidden among humans, Crean is the odd one out. Born as a human to a family of shifters, he’s been hiding his orientation and his magic for his entire life.

In search of a new start, he sets out on a journey to a different province. The only condition is he has to live with his brother and his three roommates.

Living with a vampire, a werewolf and a faerie is bound to be a disaster, and Crean does his best to avoid the strangers. But everything he’s been told about others is wrong, and his life is about to change forever.

REVIEW: ⟫ This book had such an interesting blurb that I went into it with high hopes. Unfortunately, for me, this book simply didn’t follow through.

There were so many titbits thrown at us – from Crean’s magic and what happened when he used it; Tristan and his wings; Nate and his general dislike of humans – and yet none of them went anywhere. They felt thrown into the air and just left there. Not such a big deal until you realise that the whole thing about Crean and his magic is part of why he left home, but we are never told just what happened.

The relationships between all of the characters were murky and shallow – these guys were meant to be Crean’s brother’s best friends and yet not one of them seriously considered how their friend might feel about their four-some relationship with Crean. Hardly loyalty.

We don’t really learn anything about how the supernatural came to be known – or why – and there seems to be no lingering issues with prejudice or fear. Crean being desperate to escape from his smothering family yet we don’t witness one single instance of them being that way or hindering him. The whole story was incredibly shallow and we were told so much was happening and yet didn’t witness any of it.

The sex scenes were perfunctory and felt passionless, and even though the idea of asexuality was sort of thrown out there with regard to Tristan, it wasn’t explored at all. I guess what I’m saying is that if this was meant to be a sex-fest harem read, it failed in that perspective; as an examination of prejudice between species, it failed; to be completely honest, the whole book just failed for me.

I can’t see me reaching for any other books by this author, which is a shame as a quick flick through it looks like they really have some interesting ideas.

Chosen by Nicholas Bella (Demon Gate Series Book #1)

Title: ⟫ Chosen (Demon Gate Series Book 1)

Author: ⟫ Nicholas Bella

Blurb: ⟫ Officer, Brian Cordero, didn't expect his life to be flipped upside down the day Raphael Ledeo sped past his patrol car in an Aston Martin. It was supposed to be a routine patrol stop, but the moment their fingers touched, his fate was sealed. He'd been chosen as Raphael's mate unbeknownst to him.

Now human no longer after he and Raphael bond, Brian has to figure out how to navigate life as a powerful demon. And that's just the beginning of his troubles. He discovers that there are eight gates to hell, and one of them – the worst one – is open, and a secret demon-hunting organization needs his help to close it. If that wasn't enough on his plate, his attraction to Raphael grows more intense the longer he tries to deny it. Brian considers himself straight, after all, and Raphael has been the only man he's been with.

But can he deny his desires any longer or will he have to finally admit his feelings for Raphael?

Reader Advisory: This book is filled with sarcastic demons, devilish charm, enough steam to fog up all of the windows in your home or car. And a plot that will keep you engaged until you finish the last page. 18 and older. Content may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.

Review: ⟫ I went into this story vaguely aware that some people found there were problematic issues with the mating of the two MCs, and the warnings that content might be sensitive to readers. I wasn’t expecting the straight up rape up scene that I read. I must admit, that threw me quite a bit – I’ve read dub-con and non-con, but this was just – nope. I think that the warnings given need to be clearer as they are too euphemistic for what actually happened on page.

The main character, Brian, was horrible – as in, I couldn’t find a single redeeming quality about him. He blundered around, getting himself into all kinds of trouble with secret societies and demon royalty with the subtlety of a dumper truck. He whined, constantly. His attitude towards women was abhorrent, and I was barely 30% of the way through the story before I decided that I really couldn’t give two sh1ts what happened to him. He was a complete dumbass.

Raphael was one-dimensional at best, and you would think considering his age, he might have handled things better. He was barely on page (mainly because Brian was such a dumbass but I digress), but when he was there, it was all about how pretty he was whilst he acted like a complete AH.

I was actually intrigued by the idea of the gates of hell, working to close them as well as secret societies and all sorts of demons, but it just wasn’t there. It was all about how powerful Brian’s demon was (told, not shown), him eating souls and sex. That was it. I know it was episode one, but there was pretty much nothing here that made me want to go back for episode two. I have read other Nicholas Bella books and enjoyed them, so I was a little disappointed in this one. I didn’t even find the story that dark – perhaps all of that will come in further episodes when it gets more into the demon gates? Or maybe I’m just a bit too dark in myself!

2.5/5 from me.

A Ruin of Roses by K.F. Breene

Title: ⟫ A Ruin of Roses (Deliciously Dark Fairytales #1)
Author: ⟫ K.F. Breene
Blurb: ⟫ A spicy new twist on an old classic - a deliciously dark Beauty and the Beast reimagining.

I could save him, but he would ruin me.

The beast.
The creature that stalks the forbidden wood.
The dragon prince.

He has suffered a fate worse than death. We all have. A curse put upon us by the mad king.

We are a kingdom locked in time. Shifters unable to feel our animals. Stuck here by a deal between the late king and a demon who seeks our destruction.

The only one keeping this kingdom alive is Nyfain, the golden prince to a stolen throne. The last dragon shifter.

He’s our hope.
He’s my nightmare.

When he catches me trespassing in the forbidden wood, he doesn’t punish me with death, as he’s entitled.

He takes me, instead. Forces me back to the castle as his prisoner. Seeks to use me.

Apparently, I can save him. I can save the whole forgotten kingdom, locked away by the demon king’s power.

But it would mean taming the monster beneath his skin. It would mean giving myself to him.

It would mean my ruin.

_ _ _ _ _ _

This is a dark and sexy Beauty and the Beast retelling, featuring a strong heroine, a dangerous anti-hero, and a humorous supporting cast. It is a full-length novel at 80k words and suitable for 18+. This is the beginning of a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger. Buckle up. The author was let off her leash.

Review: ⟫ I don’t tend to read M/F any more – basically from the time I found M/M, I didn’t turn back. But a friend read this and I was intrigued by her review so I thought I would give it a go.

I don’t really know how to express my feelings about this book. I persevered in reading it because I was positive that at some point it would get better. It was so meandering, rinse and repeat. I found the heroine annoying as heck, and the hero was aggravating but not in a way that intrigued me – I just wanted to slap him.

I expected dark and sexy – instead I found myself wondering about the books I have been reading because all of the so-called shocking acts just struck me as pedestrian. And I had flashbacks when the heroine was ‘talking to herself’ because it reminded me so much of the little that I read of Fifty Shades – Anastasia and Finley would get on so well with their inner Goddess. And as for the soft cliffhanger, I found that I really just didn’t care. Which I guess is the kiss of death for a story – if the cliffhanger ending just makes you glad that you’ve made it to the end, there’s not much hope left.

I can see why some people have enjoyed it – it’s different from the normal romance and has what could be an intriguing plot, with fascinating demons and shifters. But this was most definitely not for me. I’ve given it 2 stars because of the world building and the potential, but I won’t be moving on to the next story. 

I Am God's Dagger by K.A. Merikan

Title: ⟫ I Am God’s Dagger 

Author: ⟫ K.A. Merikan 

Blurb: ⟫ “I know what’s been done to you, and I will see you avenged.” 

Gabriel. Broken. Lonely. Scarred. Delusional? 

Abaddon. Lord of Locusts. Master of the Bottomless Pit. Angel of Destruction and Vengeance… But is he real? 

After a psychotic episode in his childhood, Gabriel is left shattered and unable to join society. Trapped in the orphanage he grew up in, he is plagued by nightmares of events that never happened, events that left him scarred, flinching at touch and achingly lonely. 

Until one day he decides on a whim to not take his meds. 

Born from a cold womb in the ground, Abaddon awakens to the world with one goal: to destroy a cult that commits blasphemous crimes in his name. What he doesn’t expect is meeting a boy who survived one of their rituals. 

That is when God reveals Abaddon’s true purpose. He shall protect the boy from the vultures circling him and avenge his pain. He shall take Gabriel under his wing and provide all the love and affection the boy never got to experience. 

As they set out to hunt the monsters together, Gabriel entrusts his body and soul to his beautiful guardian angel, yet he can’t stop questioning whether Abaddon is real or just a creation of his touch-starved mind. 

Either way, vengeance has begun to cut through the cultists with its scythe, and there is no turning back, no matter how deep the rabbit hole goes. 

* Themes: opposites attract, hurt/comfort, size difference, angst, childhood trauma and abuse, mental health, self-harm, deception, mindf*ck, occult, gaslighting, revenge, torture, blasphemy, orphanage, cults 

Genre: Dark, thriller M/M romance Length: ~ 86,000 words (Standalone) 

WARNING: This book contains adult content that might be considered offensive. Strong language, violence, torture, and explicit scenes. Reader discretion advised. Not for the fainthearted. Virtuous Sinners is a collection of gay romance stories that center on killers who are guided by a virtuous code. These dark novels are connected only by theme and can be read standalone. 

The killer's virtue in “I Am God’s Dagger”: Piety 

Review: ⟫ I don’t even know how to review this book because I am so confused by it. I can see what it was trying to be but amidst all of the scattered details of the actions of the members of the cult, Gabriel and his inner monologue and Abaddon, I felt that it got so so lost. 

As did I. 

And there’s only so much suspension of disbelief can achieve, especially in what was a modern, non supernatural setting. 

I was certainly thrown by Gabriel’s actions with regard to Abaddon. This ‘angel’ appears from nowhere, begins a murder spree and Gabriel not only falls in love wit him but seems to suffer very little in the way of mental trauma handling the new relationship. 

It didn’t sit well with me – especially with the flashbacks to what he had been through – and perhaps that it what threw me out of the story over and over again. 

I also have no idea how Abaddon managed to get around the orphanage without being seen by anyone – the place is full of kids, as well as staff, and no one saw him even once as he walked around. 

I will admit, I got the plot twist completely wrong, so that was a nice bit of misdirection, but I’m not sure I care too much about that. I just found this whole thing too confusing for words and can only assume based on other reviews that it is down to me. 

Perhaps I need to accept that K.A. Merikan just isn’t for me. 

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Rationale of Leander Wells by Ashlyn Drewek

Title: ⟫ The Rationale of Leander Welles 

Author: ⟫ Ashlyn Drewek 

Blurb: ⟫ Murderer. 

Madman. 

That’s what the newspapers call wealthy recluse Leander Welles after he is accused of killing four people in his picturesque hometown. Little do they know they’re half-right. 

Sent to Parkview Psychiatric for an assessment before the trial can begin, Leander falls under the care of Dr. Lorelei Clayton, an up-and-coming criminal psychiatrist. She is the one unknown element of his elaborate plot, the one game piece he has no control over. 

 Believing he’s innocent, Lorelei works tirelessly toward his freedom. But there’s just one problem — he’s not innocent. The harder she tries to prove it, the harder he falls for the one person he never expected to. 

Haunted by his past, Leander tries to envision a future with Lorelei, but the truth keeps getting in the way. If she ever learns his secret, not only could she destroy everything he spent years planning — she could destroy him. 

This is a companion/alternate point-of-view book to THE MYSTERY OF LEANDER WELLES, featuring Leander Welles' perspective instead of Lorelei's. Each book can be read as a standalone, or together. If you're a MM fan, I suggest skipping MYSTERY and starting here. There's FTB/vague MF sex scenes, but the MM angst starts in this book before continuing into DAMNATION. 

* A warning to the reader. This book contains references to abuse, self-harm, and suicide. 

Review: ⟫ I skipped the first book in this series because I seriously wasn’t interested in reading the M/F aspect of things – I’ve read three MF books recently that reminded me quite strongly of why I prefer MM. And it clearly states in the blurb that you should start here if you are an MM fan. But this book was full of Leander’s relationships (or rather relations) with women and I felt duped. 

Yes, we meet Bennett and there are delicious indications of what he and Leander could/will be to each other. But that is the extent of it and I thought that there would be more. I didn’t feel any chemistry between Leander and Lorelei, even less between him and Gracie. I have awarded the two stars for the look into Leander’s inner psyche, as well as the machinations/planning of the group to handle the whole thing about Leander being on trial for four murders. 

The twists, turns and background stories were very interesting, but the overlay of Lorelei and Gracie made this book a bitter experience for me, especially coming straight from Roan Sinclair to this. 

 I do have the next book in the series lined up on my kindle because I want to know about Leander and Bennett after meeting them in the Roan Sinclair duology, but I can’t in all honesty recommend this to fans of MM because although there are hints of it, this didn’t strike me as a MM book. Disappointed and wary going into the next one. 

2/5 from me.

Equinox by Charlie Godwyne (Augarten Book One)

Title: ⟫ Equinox (Augarten Book One)
Author: ⟫ Charlie Godwyne
Blurb: ⟫ Waking up with no memory is just the beginning of his troubles…

Not knowing who he is or how he ended up naked in a park in Vienna, Gabriel struggles to reclaim his past while still moving forward into an uncertain future. It isn't long before he realizes that not having an identity isn't the only thing that makes him different. Plants and people glow with magic all around him, and he's actually able to speak to his very own guardian angel—even though the angel won't tell him anything about who he really is.

As he tries to learn something about his prior life, Gabriel finds himself inexplicably drawn to two very different men: Solomon, the exorcist priest who found Gabriel and has been helping him try to remember who he once was; and Florian, an occultist coffee shop owner whose own tragic past allows him to accept Gabriel even without memories.

But without the foundation of a past, Gabriel worries the life he's building will crumble around him. As Gabriel's health begins to dwindle—and not even his angel can explain why—he scrambles to find answers before he's taken away from the happiness he's found and the men he loves.

Equinox is the first in the Augarten series and is an 88,000-word MMM romance with magical realism, an amnesiac willing to try just about anything to remember, a priest with unpriestly thoughts, and lots of espresso.

Review: ⟫ This book went over my head and I don’t mind admitting it. I thought the premise was interesting and when I started reading, I began to wonder if I was missing something. Whether there was a prequel I should have read or a previous series.

Basically, I found the book very confusing – sometimes it read as a romance, at other times it read as a mystical thriller, and then at others it seemed to be steeped in various religions almost – it couldn’t seem to make up its’ mind what it was. The confusion was exacerbated by ambiguities in timelines that niggled at the back of my mind until I was dragged out of the story. All in all, although the writing was engaging and the story was intriguing, I couldn’t get into this story and I think that’s on me. Other people seem to have really enjoyed reading it and others that follow in the series, so it really just must be me that couldn’t get into it. I’m giving it 2/5 for solid writing and an entertaining idea.

I received an ARC from GRR.