Goblin Twins by Kit Barrie

 

Title: ⟫ The Goblin Twins

Author:= ⟫ Kit Barrie

Rating: ⟫ 3/5

Blurb: ⟫ What do you do when you have nothing to give and everything to lose?

Twin goblin princes Shi’chen and A’bbni Er-Ha’sen did not ever plan to take the Emperor’s throne. Older twin Shi’chen is a military prodigy, and younger twin A’bbni is studying to be a physician. But when their father attempts and fails to overthrow their cousin, the murderous crown prince, the brothers are accused of taking part in a rebellion they know nothing about.

Forced to flee for their lives, the twins find that not everything is what it seems in the goblin empire of Hanenea’a. With the help of only a half-elf sailor and a handful of nobles, the brothers must confront the Emperor and his supporters, risking everyone they love for one chance to save it all.

The Goblin Twins is a debut m/m non-magic fantasy novel with romance from Kit Barrie.

This is the first book of The Goblin Twins duology, and the first of a collection of stories set in the lands of Hanenea’a and Kendarin. It has all the angst but does have a Happy For Now ending with no cliff-hanger. It does not contain twincest.

Please mind the author’s note on the first page, as this book contains sensitive material and is also not intended for children. Additional information can be found on kitbarrie.com. Reader discretion is advised.

Review: ⟫ I’m not sure how to review this book. The world-building was brilliant – it was easy to picture things in your mind due to the detailed descriptions of the history and surroundings. The characters were fully fleshed out, with the villains being suitably villainous, and in the case of the cousin, slightly insane.

The aftermath of the assault was handled sensitively and with thoughtfulness, with it not being brushed aside but an obviously painful issue for those involved. The fight to regain control of the kingdom was well described and very understandable, with lines clearly drawn between what was happening and what was desired.

The friendships were solid and well-written; all of the behind-the-scenes machinations were clearly set out so that it was possible for the reader to understand what was being fought for. The actual fighting scenes were well written, with the divided loyalties made understandable and clear.

Unfortunately, for me, the romance seemed a bit superficial and I couldn’t understand just why or how A’bbni and Lai fell in love. The friendship between Lai and Shi’chen made more sense to me, with the romance feeling a little tacked on. I didn’t actually enjoy reading the book because everything felt very much like it was the build-up to the next story – most of the action felt like it happened towards the end of the book and was perhaps a little rushed, but at the same time I felt like things were very drawn out.

I think that this is something that a lot of people will enjoy – the depth of the story, the characters and the world building were very well done. It just wasn’t for me. I was surprised to discover that this was a first novel – it was very well written in that case, and I would think that the author will be very well received.

I received an ARC from GRR. 

The Animosity Equation by J.R. Gray (Love Equations #2)

Title: ⟫ The Animosity Equation (Love Equations #2)
Author: ⟫ J.R Gray
Blurb: ⟫ Have you ever loathed a person so intensely the sight of them made you contemplate homicide?

First day of college, everyone is settling into their rooms, and in walks Jeff Woods—the blond bastard. He's arrogant and smart and an elite swimmer and worst of all everyone loves him. Only he's insufferable and flirty, and a sex god. He pushes every button I never knew I had, all with an air of indifference, like he doesn't know the affect it has on me.

Did I mention he's the hottest guy I've ever laid eyes on?

I'm just some closeted red-neck from the south who's more comfortable on a horse and in a pair of boots than trying to figure out this Ivy League stuff.

There's no way a guy like him would ever look at me twice.

Hate is the only equation.

The Animosity Equation is a stand-alone enemies to lovers, room-mates, forced proximity, wild ride of teasing, lust, and so much more.

Review: ⟫ I’m starting to realise that with this author, I either really love what they write, or it leaves me cold.

This one left me cold. I didn’t feel a connection between Jeff and Mason at all – not even a hate connection. I didn’t like their dynamic and apart from their first meeting, the chemistry (for me) just wasn’t there. I was looking forward to reading this, but I feel like the blurb is very misleading and I was disappointed.

The writing is solid (as it always is) so I think this was just a case of it not gelling for me. I would recommend the first Love Equations story, and I am still looking forward to further instalments.

I received an ARC from GRR. 

Christmas Cookies by April Kelley (Wingspan #4.5)

Title: ⟫ Christmas Cookies (Wingspan #4.5)

Author: ⟫ April Kelley

Blurb: ⟫ Morgan never thought being a vampire was a bad thing until he finds out the dragon shifters, who are the most prejudiced, are his fated mate’s family.

Morgan’s life changed the day he was kidnapped and held captive. Even weeks after the rescue, he’s still mentally processing all that has happened. Wingspan might seem like a safe place, but he’s nursed a few of the local bigots, so he knows looks can be deceiving. And then he meets his Fated mate. Seamus seems too good to be true. A sexy, protective dragon shifter who can bake and smiles all the time. What’s not to love. Despite the chemistry between them, Morgan finds it difficult to let others in, even his mate. Can he let Seamus be his safe haven?

Review: ⟫ To be fair to this novella, it started at a disadvantage as I haven’t read any of the previous stories. I was hoping that that wouldn’t be an issue, but it quickly became clear that not knowing a lot of the backstory meant that I felt like I dropped into the middle of a story – or perhaps a short tangent.

None of the characters felt particularly fleshed out. I found it difficult to connect with any of them, especially as a lot of names seemed to be thrown out that I didn’t recognise and didn’t realise the importance of.

Morgan himself was hard to get a grasp on. He had obviously been through a traumatic event, but there were no real details given so it was just – words. There was no real impact to them. And the fact that he was a vampire seemed incidental – we didn’t see him feeding (apart from on his mate), there seemed to be no perks to it, and I just felt very distant from the whole thing.

Even meeting Sean didn’t change things. The insta-attraction/love was just that – instant, with no background, no building up to, nothing. He literally walked into the place, smelled Sean and that was it. The battle with Sean’s family was a complete non-event – I expected there to be some kind of confrontation but it just fizzled out, with no contact with the prejudiced members of the dragon family apart from an initial meeting. And the title and allusion to Christmas cookies was such a minor detail that I wish they hadn’t used it as the title – it made little to no sense to me.

The background characters were obviously meant to be a call-back to previous books, which I imagine would be nice for people who have read the previous books. I also think it was meant to titillate interest in their stories so that perhaps you would dive into the rest of the series. Unfortunately, they didn’t grab me enough to make me do that.

The writing was solid but I didn’t feel engaged and after reading, I didn’t get any sense of satisfaction from the ending, their HEA or anything like that. I think that perhaps a lot of this is my fault for not reading the previous books and that maybe my experience would have been better for it.

3/5 from me – if you’ve read the previous books, you might find the book more engaging.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Grudge by Gianni Holmes (Ruthless Daddies)

 Title: ⟫ Grudge: An MM Mafia Romance (Ruthless Daddies)

Author: ⟫ Gianni Holmes
Blurb: ⟫ Can their love grow stronger than a twelve year old grudge?

Mitch spent the last twelve years dreaming about his plans when he gets out of the slammer. The last thing he expects is to be abducted the same day he’s released from prison. And sure as hell not by the boy who’s responsible for his criminal record. But Cesare is no longer the snivelling, pathetic, abused boy Mitch protected that day. He’s the Boss of the Lacovelli family. And one glimpse of the onesie beneath the boy’s expensive suit is enough to make Mitch’s knees go weak.

Cesare never forgot the man who saved his life at the expense of his own freedom. When he abducts Mitch to get close to him, he doesn't count on the sight of Mitch to affect him so much. It doesn’t take long for his teenage crush to turn into full blown love. As Cesare and Mitch grow closer, how can Cesare be sure of Mitch’s feelings when he forces Mitch to stay by his side out of a sense of duty?

Grudge is a part of the Ruthless Daddies multi-author mafia collab and a complete standalone. Expect to find an age gap romance with an ex-convict Daddy, a trigger happy Mob Boss boy, and a sweet HEA. Want more deliciously morally gray Daddies and boys? Grab the whole series!

Review: ⟫ I think I should say that I haven’t read any of the other Ruthless Daddies stories in the collaboration, but I accept that this story can be read as a complete standalone.

There are so many aspects of this story that I thought were good. Cesare was such an intriguing mix: sadist, little, submissive – it was a lot! I liked how his little side was expressed – that he knew exactly what he needed and was able to express it clearly. I also really liked the harsh, dominant side of him that ran his family with a willingness to choose violence when necessary.

Mitch was harder for me to read and get into. Sometimes it almost felt like he was locked in to his relationship with Cesare by duty – there felt like there was very little development of their relationship, and I didn’t feel the connection as strongly from his side.

There was so much going on in the story – possibly too much – with the Russians, the family being unhappy with Cesare being openly gay and the changes he was making, the situation with his uncle, his friend Faro. I think I ended up feeling a little fatigued by it all. There were also times when there was a disconnect – things sort of jumped around. For example, how Mitch and Cesare found the time to be at the Loft when things were allegedly exploding within the family and a hit being taken out on Cesare.

The sex scenes were hot and varied, with all of the different areas of Cesare’s desires being explored. But there was a lingering sense of dissatisfaction – most likely caused by the disconnect I felt – and overall the story didn’t work for me. It was well written and I would imagine a lot of people will find it interesting and hot. It just wasn’t the story for me.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Roman by Grae Bryan

Title: ⟫ Roman
Author: ⟫ Grae Bryan
Blurb: ⟫ Danny Kingman is used to fending for himself. Working non-stop as an ER nurse to pay for his mother’s care, he’s been putting his own life on hold since he can remember. But when an unbelievably hot, strangely intense man saves him from a mugging, Danny has a feeling everything is about to change. Especially when that man suddenly pops out a pair of fangs.

Roman Mourier has been wandering aimlessly for decades, waiting for the inevitable day when the last of his humanity leaves him, and the demon inside him takes permanent control. He doesn’t believe in fated mates, or the myth that there’s a soul out there that could tether his humanity to him. Until he feels a strange pull to the lovely young man at the hospital, and hope stirs in him for the first time.

But Roman has demons other than just the one inside him. Is he strong enough to keep Danny safe from the past that haunts him? He knows one thing for sure: now that he’s found his mate, he will do anything to keep him.

Review: ⟫ This was a sweet and overall gentle story and I think for me, that was the problem. I was hoping for more – more bite to it, more sexiness, just more. Instead, although it was a perfectly pleasant read, it wasn’t anything particularly special. There isn’t anything memorable about it, which is a shame because the idea is sound and could have been quite spectacular.

Roman is surprisingly sweet, understanding and restrained – what he does for Danny and his mother, giving them time together where she remembers him is one of the loveliest things I’ve ever read, and an amazing use of vampire compulsion. Danny seems completely unflappable, which was a little incongruous considering he’s been introduced to vampires, stalker vampires and what his new mate calls his Demon. To be honest, Danny seemed more than a little too good to be true – even suspending disbelief, I expected at least one freak out.

Nicely written and a pleasant read, this is a gentle, relatively low-angsty vampire mate love story that was mildly enjoyable.

Prince of L.A. by Patricia Logan

Title: ⟫ Prince of L.A. 

Author: ⟫ Patricia Logan 

Rating: ⟫ 3/5 

Blurb: ⟫ Special Agent Leo Reeves is new to the FBI’s L.A. field office. His career has been on track since the day he joined the bureau. He loves his job as a profiler and being assigned to a new team in one of the busiest offices in the nation will be the opportunity of a lifetime…if he can put the past behind him. 

The face Leo shows the world is strong, focused, dependable, and capable. The long list of citations in his file only serve to prove how good he is. If he could only forget he was sired by a monster. 

Former Marine Staff Sergeant, Max Prince, leads by example. Whether it means protecting men in battle, working for the US Marshal service, or being the best damn field agent the FBI has ever seen, he brings a special kind of bravery to the job. 

His teammates depend on his ready smiles, his funny jokes, and know him as the excellent agent he’s proven to be. 

They never see the man who buried his heart eight years ago.  The last thing he wants is to fall for the new guy. 

When a serial killer suddenly starts targeting innocents, both men have trouble pinning down who they’re dealing with. With victimology all over the place, Leo can’t make sense of a profile, and Max simply wants to put the bastard away before he murders anyone else. 

The case is maddening but worse, the attraction the two men find every time they look at each other, is beginning to get in the way. 

Review: ⟫ This book had a lot to draw me to it: law enforcement, profiling, alpha males and a mystery – what could go wrong? 

 One of my biggest issues is the constant referencing of previous characters. It’s obvious that they are from other series that the author has written, and appear to be a ploy to draw the reader to go and read their stories. 

But for me, it overshadowed the main characters from this story – I want an author to make me want to read their other stuff because of how good this story is, not because I have to have all of their previous books memorised so I recognise the names of the characters populating this book. 

I didn’t feel any real chemistry between Leo and Max – in fact, there were times that I couldn’t remember who was who because they came across as so generic.

The other team members were more interesting to me and had more individual characteristics to them. It was made completely and utterly obvious who the ‘bad’ guys in the team were, and I couldn’t help but wonder just why they were there. There was a big deal made of how tight-knit the team was, how they had all been hand-picked. If that was the case, what was with the two guys that everyone pretty much seemed to detest? 

The main plot was interesting and I feel more could have been made of that, but the resolution was mildly satisfying. I wasn’t sure about all of the background characters in Max’s life: his wife, his drag-queen friend and his ex, as they seemed like the author planned to go into things deeper but didn’t have the space for it. 

The whole issue with Leo’s Dad was a non-starter and felt like a red herring. If it was meant to be motivation for his life choices and how he was around people, for me it failed to connect. 

The writing was solid and I’m sure people who have read her earlier works would be pleased to see old friends. Surprisingly, I do have some of her earlier stuff including characters that appear in this story, but I am struggling to make my way through them. Perhaps having seen them here, I will be able to connect better. 

It’s a 3/5 from me but YMMV – perhaps it was just the mood I was in? 

I received an ARC from GRR.

Making Waves by Christina Lee (Franklin U #7)

Title: ⟫ Making Waves 

Author: ⟫ Christina Lee 

Rating: ⟫ 3/5 

Blurb: ⟫ Alex Larsen 

 Remy Duval was my high school crush and secret first kiss, but he’s also so much more. A painter, a tattoo artist, my best friend Bailey’s older brother…and Bailey’s sworn enemy. 

It was easier to keep my distance the past two years, but now that Bailey and I are attending Franklin University with him, I’m only drawn to Remy more. I should be loyal to my best friend, focus on classes and swim team, but the more I see Remy around campus, the harder it becomes to stay away. 

Remy Duval 

My brother hates me, but that’s no surprise. I’ll take the fall for ruining our family if it means doing the right thing. But as soon as my brother and his best friend show up on campus, I know I’m in trouble. 

Alex is all grown up, and I can’t help wanting him, especially when he’s in those tiny swim briefs that emphasize everything. One kiss leads to more, and before we know it, we’re tumbling into secret, no-strings-attached hookups. 

But who knew Alex would understand me in ways few others have? And I think, just maybe, I understand him too. I keep telling myself it’s temporary. Alex doesn’t want to disappoint his best friend, and after what my parents went through, I’m not looking to settle down. 

Making waves is nothing new, but the further I fall, the more I drag Alex in the deep end with me. 

Review: ⟫ I hate to pile onto the character hate that I’ve seen on Goodreads and Amazon, but OMG Bailey!! Why was he given so much power in this book? 

I get not wanting to upset your best friend; I get not wanting to pile on to someone who is struggling with realising their hero isn’t worthy of their adoration – I get all of the possible reasons why Bailey was struggling with what his father did. But. What the heck – this man-child had absolutely everyone making excuses for his atrocious behaviour and was responsible for pretty much all of the angst in this book. So much so, that it was almost impossible to understand why Alex and Remy let him get away with it. Someone needed to tell him to take several seats and get a grip! 

The actual romance between Alex and Remy was sweet, especially the way they were both trying to deny how attached they were to each other. From attending all of his swim meets, to cooking for him, cuddling with him and sharing his art, I loved Remy as a character. I thought he was really sweet and deserving of all of the love. Alex – I didn’t get much of a feel for him, although the backstory of his sister and parents made sense of a lot of his thought processes. 

But unfortunately for me, Bailey overshadowed all of that and utterly ruined the story for me. Ugh – just, no.

Perfect Pitcher by Lee Blair

Title: ⟫ Pitcher Perfect (Tap That Brewery Book One) Author: ⟫ Lee Blair 

 Blurb: ⟫ When a workaholic brewer and a lonely chef team up to win a prestigious food and beer competition, they might find the perfect pairing in each other. 

Austin 

 Me and my friends knew that when we joined forces to open Tap That Brewery, we needed to do more than just make great brews to break into the crowded Oregon beer scene. When we get an opportunity to enter a beer and food pairing competition, I know our best bet is to join forces with Caleb, a.k.a. the cute as hell new food truck chef in town. The brewery keeps me too busy to date, but I can’t ignore his sexy sincerity or disarming smile. 

Spoiler alert: My feelings are growing faster than the head of foam on a badly poured beer. 

 Caleb 

It’s hard to be a newcomer in a charming small town like Dahlia Springs. I’m determined to live my dream of upgrading my food truck to a restaurant, and I even found the perfect space. But the cantankerous owner is reluctant to trust an outsider. Maybe teaming up with the local queer brewery is just what I need to prove I’m here for the long haul. 

The problem is, Austin, the adorable brewer who likes chefs about as much as food poisoning, also happens to be the key ingredient to the family I’ve been craving. 

Pitcher Perfect is a low angst, steamy, and sweet MM contemporary romance about two men who discover they’re the perfect pairing. It’s the first in the Tap That Brewery series, which features four best friends who co-own a queer brewery together. It’s full of teasing as a love language, found family, more f-bombs than necessary, and a small town you'll wish you could visit. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, though you may find it most enjoyable to read the series in order. Happily ever afters are guaranteed, and no cliffhangers! 

Review: ⟫ 

Pitcher Perfect is pretty much exactly as described – a low angst, falling in love story about a brewer and a food truck owner. The background characters were sweet and funny, and the storyline was fine. I learned a lot about brewing and what goes into it which was interesting, and the relationship that built between Caleb and Austin was sweet. The towns-people were fun, as were the guys who lived together – some of the pranks, chats and things they did made me smile widely. 

This is book one in a new series which I imagine will feature the other brewers mentioned in the story. If you’re in the mood for something gentle and easy to read, I would imagine this would be a great read. I give this a rating of 3/5.

I received an ARC from GRR.