Jon and Mack's Terrifying Tree Problems by A.J. Sherwood

Title: ⟫ Jon and Mack’s Terrifying Tree Problems

Author: ⟫ A.J. Sherwood

Rating: ⟫ 4.5/5

Blurb: ⟫ It’s like a bad game of Telephone.

Grant locates a murdered teen in McMinnville. He calls Jon.

Jon locates the girl’s ghost. He calls Mack.

Mack talks to the ghost who leads them to more ghosts. Who lead them to even more ghosts.

And why are all the murder victims buried under trees?

The boys are ready for this game to end, please. (Donovan especially.)

Tags:

Jon’s World crossover, hail hail the gang’s all here, oh look we meet Grant, trees are not to be trusted, according to Donovan, ya’ll pray for Donovan, there’s so many ghosts, the ghosts have some WORDS to share, car sex, bondage sex, Mack has plans, so of course they get ruined, BAMF female cops, Jon and Mack are ready for this case to be over, please and thank you, serial killer(s)? running amok, people get tombed, literally, Eli’s mad she missed the fun, Mack would like to say: Don’t use Jon as a battery, seriously don’t do it

Review: ⟫ There is not a chance that you’ll be able to follow this story unless you’ve read the other ones in the series so don’t even try!

As a fan of Jon, Mack and all of the others, it was really fun to dive back into this world. I did get lost a few times and had to remind myself of who was who and who did what, but once I’d got my memories back, it was full steam ahead. I loved how this story showed new sides to the powers these guys had (who even knew it was possible to use Jon as a battery even if it was a supremely bad idea), whilst solidifying what you already knew about them.

I wouldn’t say there a was a lot of romance in this book, although there were a few steamy sex scenes. It was more about the mystery they find themselves in the middle of, and how they all came together to figure it out and solve the crime.

I thought Jon and Mack were complete idiots a few times, especially towards the end, but they did so good in the end that I forgave them. The reason for the rating of 4 instead of 5 is because the book did get confusing a few times, and as I haven’t read the previous books in a while, I felt a little lost and I wouldn’t be surprised if other people felt the same.

It was brilliant to be back in this universe, and I look forward to reading more about the adventures of our guys – maybe a little recap/glossary in the beginning of the next book?

Wish by Cambria Hebert (Westbrook Elite #3)

Title: ⟫ Wish (Westbrook Elite #3)

Author: ⟫ Cambria Hebert

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ For me, choice might as well be a wish.

My parents died in a fiery car crash when I was barely sixteen.

I’m gay.

I’m also totally in love with my brother.

I didn’t choose any of that. In fact, I’ve tried like hell to deny it. But here I am in all my gay, brother-loving, no-parentals glory.

Technically, Max isn’t my brother. Not by blood anyway. That should make it less ick, right?

Considering he calls my parents mom and dad, probably not.

Also, did I mention he’s straight?

So that’s me: the freestyle swimmer doing my best to keep my sexuality on the down-low while simultaneously wishing my feelings for Max will evaporate into thin air.

Too bad he acts like he’s my keeper and my heart shakes every time his eyebrow ring glints in the sun or he levels his opaque stare on me with an intensity matched by nothing else.

My desire to keep my personal life personal drowns at the bottom of the pool when a fellow Elite lets everyone in on my business, which throws Max into macho protective mode all over again.

Enough is enough, though. I’m forcing myself to move on.

Maybe the best way to forget about my forbidden crush is to find a new one.

I have options. More than I realized.

Unfortunately, none of them are leather-wearing, tattoo-sporting, motorcycle-riding grumpholes.

So here I am wishing for Max while someone else wishes for me.

Someone who decides if they can’t have me…

No one will.

Please note that WISH contains homophobia. There is also mention of off-page child abuse and parental death. This book also contains a male/male sibling-esque relationship and mentions of male assault. Some readers may find these things uncomfortable.

Review: ⟫ I haven’t read the first two books in this series because I wasn’t in the mood to read M/F, but it didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of this book as it was all set up very well and I could infer pretty much everything I needed to know.

The story is mainly told from the perspective of Wes, who is completely and utterly in love with Max. Like, imprinted from a very early age. But because of the way they were brought up and the circumstances behind it all, he felt very much alone and as if the whole idea of being with Max was an impossibility – which is understandable – they were brought up as brothers, despite Max’s parents being very much alive.

I thought that the story did a good job of showing Wes’s feeling of loneliness and isolation, fear of being outed due to a previous incident, as well as his inner turmoil for his feelings. I felt for him – deeply – because it very much seemed as if he was surrounded by people who cared but that he was wrapped in a bubble and couldn’t quite bring himself to reach out and accept the hands of love and acceptance that were there for him. I very much enjoyed his interactions with Rinkin – he didn’t back down, didn’t allow himself to be cowed, and showed himself to be a strong person beneath his quiet exterior.

Max annoyed the hell out of me, but at the same time I could understand the bind that he was in. He was struggling with his upbringing, the promises he had made, and general feelings of not being enough. More than sufficient to mess with anyone. However, the lengths he went to in order to keep track of Wes were unfair if he wasn’t going to step up, and I really liked how he was called on it by the people around him.

The story is engaging and entertaining, although a few times it did veer off into soap-opera land (yes, I’m looking at you Veronica), and it kept me entertained throughout. The sex scenes were hot – in fact, they were very hot – and I really enjoyed reading it. One of the better brothers-in-love stories that I’ve read and I will be checking out further works by the author.

A Hellhound Called Derek by Michelle Frost (Mated to the Human #1)

Title: ⟫ A Hellhound Called Derek

Author: ⟫ Michelle Frost

Rating: ⟫ 3/5

Blurb: ⟫ Touch his mate and you’ll wish for the fires of hell.

Alpha of the Hellhound enforcers, Derek doesn’t think he has time for a mate until the Paranormal Council of the city gives him one.

Hollis is smart, funny, vulnerable…human, and his police commissioner uncle has designs to use Hollis’s new mating for his own ends.

He’ll learn quickly not to mess with a hellhound’s mate. 

Review: ⟫ Okay, I can’t imagine that I’ll be the only person who jumps on this book simply because the title sounds entertaining, right? This is quite obviously setting up a new series and for me, that kinda ruins it. The romance between Derek and Hollis felt a bit perfunctory to the story – it was very sweet, and despite being a sort of insta-love thing, they took things relatively slowly. It felt for me like what was going on between them was in the background – instead, we learned about other characters who were being set up for the future, the politics behind the whole arranged marriage thing, and that was pretty much it.

Derek was an absolute sweetheart up until he wasn’t, when he went all grr argh to save his mate which was nice. And Hollis was written as a sweet, lacking in self-esteem, and in need of someone to bolster his confidence to make him realise what he was capable. Ultimately, I felt like I was being set up for the stories of the other candidates more than anything and I was a bit disappointed.

I was looking forward to any of the Hellhound lore and reveal which was set up to be a huge thing, but again, that was rather disappointing. Saying that, I will keep an eye out for more in the series because it was set up very well and the writing was confident and assured. Overall, I wish there had been more concentration on this story rather than setting up the next.

Scales and Song by L Eveland (Monster in my Bed Book #2)

Title: ⟫ Scales and Song: Monsters in my Bed Book #2

Author: ⟫ L Eveland

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ We were supposed to protect the world from monsters, not become them.

All I’ve ever wanted was to protect the people I love. That’s why I joined the military’s Elite Specimen Containment Unit.

When I learned they were experimenting on sentient monsters, however, everything changed.

Now, I have a new mission: protect a scaly winged monster named Bud and escort him to somewhere he’ll be safe from my superiors.

Yet, Bud’s so sweet and perfect, I can’t help but fall for him, even though I know it’s too dangerous for us to be together. It’ll be safer for us to go our separate ways, especially when we’re being hunted.

But I’ve only got so much willpower…

Though Scales and Song is the second book in the Monsters in my Bed series, it can be read as a stand-alone novel. It features a closeted and traumatized special forces soldier, the sweet cinnamon roll monster who loves him, and a HEA. Please see the interior for content warnings.

Review: ⟫ I’ve got complicated feelings about this book. In the first instance, the premise really reminds me of the Lily Mayne’s Monstrous series: monsters coming through a tear, being imprisoned by the army and experimented on; soldier falling in love with one. That’s not a bad comparison, but it did make it hard to shake from my head whilst I was reading.

I’m in the middle of reading the first book in the series, Kissed by the Krampus, as I enjoyed reading Scale and Song enough to want to go back to the beginning. I would say if you’re wanting a bit of monster-loving, with a side order of stoic soldier boy and conspiracy theory, this could well be the book for you. The love-making scenes were frequent and hot, and the lead characters Bud and Phoenix were interesting. As a gay man of colour, Phoenix was quite well written – his concerns about telling his family, the way in which he compartmentalised things, his feelings of isolation and betrayal – were all palpable.

However, I didn’t get as much of a sense of Bud. Maybe it was me and I was missing it, but I wasn’t sure how the music thing was such a calming influence on him, and I really didn’t get his magical abilities – they felt a little vague and definitely unexplored. It felt like some of them transpired at just the right moment with little to no real explanation of them.

The mating cycle’s influence on Phoenix wasn’t fully explained for me either, and I would have liked to know just a bit more about how and why he was reacting to Bud the way he was.

The main cast of characters was interesting – obviously, otherwise I wouldn’t have gone looking for the rest of the series – and it was obvious who else would be getting their own story. I did enjoy reading Scale and Song and would recommend it if you’re looking for something a bit different, with some kinky monster sex for good measure!

I received an ARC from GRR.

Only One Coffin by A.J. Truman

Title: ⟫ Only One Coffin

Author: ⟫ A.J. Truman

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ I’m stuck sharing a coffin with the world’s perkiest vampire. This vacation is going to suck.

After centuries of eternal existence, and still mourning the loss of my lover to vicious slayers, I needed a few days of peaceful solitude at the Hotel Draugr.

But thanks to a double-booking mishap, I’m forced to share my coffin with Kilroy, a freshly bitten vampire who loves his new afterlife as much as he loves hanging ten. My unexpected room-mate is determined to show me how “totally awesome” being a vampire can be.

Doesn’t he know vampires don’t do sunshine of any kind?

Through epic snowball fights and midnight meetups at vampire speakeasies, the ice around my not-technically-beating heart begins to melt. And during days sharing our too-small coffin, one part of me has trouble staying dead.

Maybe this budding relationship has teeth…that is, if we can evade the slayers closing in on the hotel.

Only One Coffin is a grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, paranormal MM romcom featuring a 300-year age gap, coffin cuddling, and a vampire bro who wears flip flops no matter how cold it is outside.

Review: ⟫ With a neat twist on a few tropes such as age-gap, grumpy sunshine and forced proximity, Only One Coffin is mainly played for laughs. The puns drop thick and fast, blood is substituted for some truly entertaining food items and the relationship between Kilroy and Magnus is a sweet, fun read.

Magnus is still in mourning for the lover taken from him by the humans, and is making his annual trip to hide away in a frozen hotel when he is suddenly forced to face the reality of the fact that the rest of the world is still living. Kilroy comes along at a time when probably no one else would try to drag Magnus out into the world again, and is stagnating and, no pun intended, slowly dying.

Kilroy was most definitely one of those glass-half-full people that can be incredibly irritating or endearing depending on the mood you are in. He took being changed into a vampire as a ‘whoa, dude’ thing rather than a path to depression. I loved the idea of a group of vampires who help ‘newbies’ get on their feet, and on the whole Kilroy was fun in a seeing the world from a new perspective.

I did find the constant corrections to Kilroy saying things like good morning and good night a bit irritating after a while – yes, we get it, Magnus’s character is a little stuffy and formal but literally every single time someone said something like that, it felt like overkill. This gave me ‘Hotel Transylvania’ vibes, which was fun, and I did love how casually things like turning into a bat, etc. were discussed.

I would describe this as a nice, easy read, with an interesting take on the whole vampire life, and a sweet love story.

Never Have I Ever: Submitted to my Enemy by Willow Dixon

Title: ⟫ Never Have I Ever: Submitted to my Enemy

Author: ⟫ Willow Dixon

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ How could I not have realized the guy I’ve been chatting with online is the one person I hate?

Kai, the bad boy I broke my rules for. Who stomped all over my heart. Twice. He’s arrogant and annoying, and worse, he doesn’t even remember what he did to me.

He’s also my new presentation partner. I want nothing to do with him, but the more time we spend together, the more I realize he’s not the monster I’ve made him out to be. I want to keep hating him, but it’s hard when he’s made it his mission to get me to like him.

As if things weren’t messed up enough, enter MrWrong, the bossy as f*ck guy I’ve been chatting with online. Using an anonymous app was supposed to be an uncomplicated way to explore my more extreme interests. I didn’t count on meeting the only person who’s ever been able to give me not only what I want, but what I need.

I spent years denying my attraction to men to protect a broken heart. Now I have two guys I can’t stop thinking about.

F*ck my life.

Alex and Kai’s story is an enemies-to-lovers romance between classmates who discover they have more in common than they think. Expect lots of steamy, kinky conversations, and even hotter encounters when these classmates realize who they’ve been chatting with. It is the second novel in the exciting Never Have I Ever series but can be read as a standalone.

Review: ⟫ Well, this was full of surprises!! First of all, MrWrong has an absolutely filthy mouth on him and I am well and truly here for it. Secondly, someone needs to give Beck a smack around the head for not realising how much he was letting Alex down – you don’t have someone like that as your friend without realising how much damage you might cause by not being there for them.

The relationship(s) between Kai and Alex were complicated and interesting. I especially liked the hints the author dropped into things that could have revealed their connection earlier if they had been paying attention. The different sides to their personalities were represented in each scenario – there was the Alex that obeyed Kai’s every instruction and was his brat; the battling students working together; and the vulnerable young men who slowly let the other into the hidden sides of their lives until they all became entwined. It was beautifully done, and I really enjoyed the reveal and the very honest reaction to it.

So why a 4/5? I (personally) think that Alex was intelligent enough to recognise the signs of ADHD and even though when he was younger, he was made to feel like he was just being lazy, etc., once he reached university I think he would have investigated further. That niggled at me throughout the book – especially as a parent to a child/young adult struggling with ADHD – so that affected my enjoyment somewhat.

I was surprised/pleased to discover that I’m actually in the middle of reading Step-Bully which includes a couple featured in this book – my magpie mind jumped to other things whilst reading it, so I haven’t finished it yet but I will be bumping it up on my TBR pile.

This was a really enjoyable book to read and I think you will find yourself rooting for Kai and Alex to get out of their own way to find love. Alex truly deserved the family he found with Kai, his mother and sister, and Kai had someone that was his in a way that he had never experienced.

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Tech by Amy Lane (Long Con Adventures #5)

Title: ⟫ The Tech – A Long Con Adventure

Author: ⟫ Amy Lane

Rating: ⟫ 4.5/5

Blurb: ⟫ Can two quiet con men who lost their childhoods find their places as a part of a family—and with each other?

Ever since he watched his father die, Etienne Couvier has kept to himself. Under the tutelage of his adoptive family, the Salingers, Tienne grows into a gifted forger and artist. But no matter how hard they try to draw him into their midst—and despite the singular pull their friend Stirling Christopher has on his emotions—he resists.

When computer tech Stirling lost his foster parents, he found shelter and love with the Salingers. Stirling knows first-hand what Tienne has been through, so when an attacker shatters Tienne’s self-imposed isolation, Stirling urges him into the Salinger crew. Maybe they can finally explore the quiet attraction between them.

Then the Salingers announce their next project: an inquest into the mysterious deaths of Stirling’s adoptive parents. They descend on the Caribbean for answers, with Stirling and Tienne the quiet centers of the human justice-seeking hurricane. As they stretch out of their comfort zones, they learn that being family means someone always has your back. Hand in hand, they’ll solve the mystery. They might even be able to live with the consequences—as long as they do it together.

Amy Lane’s Long Con series follows a crew of civic-minded thieves on their quests for justice, adventure, and love. Fans of Leverage, heist movies, and romantic suspense will love The Tech.

Review: ⟫ Someone just needs to film this ish, release behind the scenes stuff, audition tapes, the whole thing because this series is just something else!

The Tech is about Stirling and Tienne, two young men who have been through far too much in their young lives who are not quite sure how they fit in with the Salinger’s team of loveable rogues. After all, they’re not the action-men – they’re the ones who create forgeries and sit on the computers doing all of the background stuff. They’re not the heroes or the mainstays of the family.

Amy Lane manages to create an action movie about family – found or by blood – whilst also weaving a love story between two young men who are not quite like everyone else. And she does it masterfully.

The latest con isn’t so much a con as a gift, and the whole family is in on it. We catch up with everyone from Michael and Carl, to learning more about Josh and Grace, to seeing more about how life doesn’t stay still. Felix and Danny have only just really settled into being together again with Julia by their side and Josh recovering when they have to consider how they will cope with a new person being within their midst (Leon is back and I am here for it because Julia deserves all the love).

I’m not sure there’s a man out there who could actually handle Molly – I feel like she needs someone who will be happy to be in the background, acting as a safe place for her to fall whilst allowing her to shine. But I kinda do need her to get her HEA too.

There are so many people to weave into this story that I think that might actually be part of the issue and why it’s a 4.5 instead of a 5 for me. It’s far too easy to get lost if you haven’t read everything that’s come before, and even if you have, cliff notes would really help. This Long Con adventure is turning into such a sprawling creation, that it’s in danger of getting out of control with so many characters and stories intertwined that it can be a little overwhelming.

Actually, thinking about it, maybe that’s why I related to both Stirling and Tienne so much – sometimes the Salingers as a group are just a bit much. I also found myself paying a lot of attention to Grace and worrying about him. His worry that he might become superfluous to Josh now that the young man is truly recovering touched my heart so much and I felt for him.

The love-making scenes were incredibly sweet whilst also being utterly filthy,and I adore the thought of Stirling researching all of the things he wanted to do and then putting his research into practice. The bad guys get their comeuppance in the best way, and the whole story was completely and utterly as described – think Guy Ritchie movie, or Ocean’s Eleven if that isn’t ageing me too much!

If you want a story that keeps you fully engaged, cheering, laughing and crying, then you can’t go wrong with picking up one of the Long Con Adventure stories and this is a worthy addition.

I received an ARC from the author.

Blaine's Beast by Joel Abernathy

Title: ⟫ Blaine’s Beast

Author: ⟫ Joel Abernathy

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ It's the coldest night of the year--the kind of cold that sinks its teeth into the bones of anyone unlucky enough to find themselves at nature's mercy. Frostbitten and exhausted after getting kicked out of his home when he came out to his parents, Blaine is about to become the forest's next victim.

But when the howling wolves surrounding him turn out to be a pack of cursed shifters who only want to help the trespasser on their territory, Blaine's bad luck takes a turn for the better. As Blaine begins to uncover the secrets of this strange place straight from a fairy tale, he discovers that its beastly master may be more than he appears...

-

Blaine's Beast is a standalone MM Monster Romance retelling of Beauty and the Beast that was previously published under the author's pre-transition pen name as Blaine and the Beast. This story has been rewritten, but the foundations are the same.

Review: ⟫ This was lovely!! I could literally picture it all in my mind and I truly enjoyed it – think Beauty and the Beast but instead of being turned into household objects, the staff are werewolves!

The sex scenes were hot, but the part I liked the most was the growing relationship between the Beast and Blaine; their friendship and the trust that they built. The Beast was expecting Blaine to hate him and be terrified of him – instead he found someone who could look past the exterior to the man beneath. Not only that, he found someone who could love all sides of him which he had never expected.

If you know the Disney movie, you know most of how this story goes, and as such it was a really nice, relaxing read. There was minimal angst and as one of the first books of the new year, this was a good one.

Death's Bloom: A Bluebeard Retelling by Lily Mayne

Title: ⟫ Death’s Bloom: A Bluebeard Retelling

Author: ⟫ Lily Mayne

Rating: ⟫ 4/5

Blurb: ⟫ He’s the most perfect man I’ve ever met, but something is… wrong.

I don’t see it at first. All I see is the gorgeous man with dark eyes and long hair and that unusual blue beard. The piercings and the tattoos, the beautiful smile. All I can focus on is the way he touches me, the sound of his voice in my ear, the perfect life he draws me into.

I hide it from him at first. The fact that… I think I’m losing my mind. That I keep seeing something lurking in the corners of rooms, keep hearing a terrible voice mumbling in the dead of night, keep seeing white eyes watching me in the dark.

Something is haunting me. Tormenting me. Trying to ruin this perfect life I now have with Theo, so I do my best to pretend that everything is fine. That I’m not terrified I’m losing my mind, or that a demon is stalking the halls every night trying to… get me.

Until I can’t pretend anymore. Until I realise… the monster in my nightmares and my perfect, loving boyfriend are not so different after all.

Death’s Bloom is an MM horror retelling of Bluebeard, as part of the collaboration Monsters & Mayhem: An MM Horror Collection, adapting some of your favourite classic horror stories with an MM romance twist.

Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It includes mild BDSM, including restraint and breath play, and MMM elements as well as graphic depictions of death, gore and violence, a somewhat toxic relationship and morally reprehensible characters.

Review: ⟫ This was juicy and dark and I was all the way here for it!!

It helps that I had forgotten the basis of the Bluebeard story, so as it unfolded it was all new to me. Ari and Theo were a match made in heaven – or hell, depending on how you look at it – and from the time they actually met, the chemistry was off the charts. Their relationship happened thick and fast, and was kinky as all heck. And I loved it. The consequences were vaguely terrifying – I mean, I read what was happening and it sent a shiver down my spine. I completely understood Ari’’s reaction – who the heck would you tell? And it was made even more fascinating when we got Theo’s side of things.

I really and truly loved this – it was very much a fairytale retelling, but with a demonic twist. Lily Mayne has a very distinctive style and I have very much enjoyed reading her Monstrous series This isn’t quite in the same vein, but the style is there so if you like that series, and you’re happy to go darker (and I don’t mean a little darker but a LOT), then you should really enjoy this!

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!