Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined by W.H. Lockwood (Sinful Crimes Duology Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined

AUTHOR: ⟫ W.H. Lockwood

SERIES: ⟫ The Sinful Crimes Duology Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ "It’s you and it’s you and it’s always been you…"

Catholic priest and exorcist Joe Bruno has been nursing a secret crush for months. All he can think about is too-sexy-for-words, demon-killing art historian Percy Ashdown.

One cataclysmic night, when Joe realises Percy’s about to slip from his grasp forever, he’s forced to lay his cards on Percy’s table. What Joe doesn’t know is that Percy’s dreamed of this moment since the day they met, and quicker than he can say Hail Mary, Percy whisks Joe away to Europe on the holiday of a lifetime.

The only problem is, Percy’s living a double life. And while he’s determined to keep his dark side hidden from his sweet priest, secrets soon start catching up with them. Before he knows it, the two are mired in crime, blood, and zombies.

As each disaster falls at their feet, Percy’s hapless and hilarious attempts to pretend to be good pull them both deeper into a web of lies, leaving Joe wondering, has he made the worst mistake of his life? Or could Percy really be the happy ending Joe’s always dreamed of?

REVIEW: ⟫ An absolute rollicking ride of a story, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into! Percy and Joe are stupidly in love with each other – I say stupidly because they are both hiding things about themselves in an attempt to fit the ‘image’ of themselves they have presented.

On a number of heists, they get themselves into trouble with zombies, art theft, corrupt priests and human trafficking, and that’s not even getting into all of the dodgy stuff that Percy is involved in! The sex scenes were hot and steamy, with the chemistry between Percy and Joe burning up the page. This reads like a serialisation that has been compiled and I actually really enjoyed the format. It made me feel like I could dip in and out of the book and quickly find my place. There is some major violence, blood and gore (as to be expected with zombies and the like) but the humour permeates the entire story, and even whilst you’re shaking your head at this pair getting into scrapes, you can’t help but cheer them on in their adventures.

I’m looking forward to the second part of this duology which is due out in 2025. I received an ARC from the author.

Get a Fix by Mary Calmes (Torus Intercession Book #6)

TITLE: ⟫ Get a Fix

AUTHOR: ⟫ Mary Calmes

SERIES: ⟫ Torus Intercession Book #6

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Simply because your world collides with a shooting star doesn’t mean that’s a sign, does it?

Cooper Davis has a nice life he’s quite fond of. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a job he excels at. As a fixer with Torus Intercession, he’s entrusted with the well-being of the people relying on his guidance. He is protector, guardian, but most of all, as his boss always says, everyone needs to be better off once he leaves. The issue is, when he’s asked to watch over the actor Ashford Lennox, he’s not sure that leaving is what he wants to do.

Ashford Lennox is a movie star on the rise. He has everything he’s ever wanted, except someone to love and call his own. He’s learned over the years that home is not a place but sharing a life with one special person you can count on. When he meets the man tasked with keeping him safe during a wedding, it’s like a lightning bolt. Suddenly he can see his whole future unfolding.

Being on the same page is an epiphany for both, now if they could just make it to the happily ever after without getting shot…

REVIEW: ⟫ You know exactly what you’re getting when you read a Mary Calmes book, and boo six in this series is no different! There’s an element of insta-love (or more love with intense like) and I really appreciated how open and honest both male leads were with how they felt – from the moment they met, Cooper and Ash were utterly out there with each other and it was refreshing.

The normal case of fun characters, along with a hateful ex, and a background plot that included murder, fraud and international issues, and this was an enjoyable romp that was exactly what I was in the mood for!

Changing the Game by J.J. Mulder (Offsides Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Changing the Game

AUTHOR: ⟫ J.J. Mulder

SERIES: ⟫ Offsides Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Former college hockey player, Sam Jameson, is coming off of a bad summer. After the derailment of his hockey dreams, and a nasty breakup with his girlfriend, he's ready to put his head down and work hard for the South Carolina NHL team. He doesn't count on Troy Nichols, though.

Troy, the star forward for the team, is unexpected in more ways than one. And when sparks fly between the pair, there seems little sense in holding back. Can they make it work, or is this little more than a rebound?

A low angst MM hockey romance. Just a happy, feel-good story about two men falling in love.

REVIEW: ⟫ Well, I’ve been sick again so I needed a nice and easy, feel-good story and this one delivered. The relationship between Sam and Troy was so lovely to read – they were open, honest, caring and very present for each other. There was no subterfuge, no last minute misunderstandings – the author did exactly what they said they would and provided a happy, feel-good story about two men falling in love and I truly enjoyed reading it.

Romeo Falling by Jesse H. Reign

TITLE: ⟫ Romeo Falling

AUTHOR: ⟫ Jesse H. Reign

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ What happens when he’s your Romeo…but you’re no Juliet?

Romeo and I were friends long before we were lovers. Best friends. Ride or die. What started as an innocent kiss slowly unraveled and shattered, giving way to years of tears and total obsession.

Now I’m back in the small town I call home, staring straight into the face of the only man I’ve ever loved…or hated. To make matters worse, his wife stands at his side, smiling sweetly as my heart breaks all over again.

When life throws us back together, cracks quickly start to appear in the perfect façade of their marriage, and I’m left fighting the unstoppable force that is my attraction to Romeo.

My enemy.

My lover.

My life.

Some say fate is written in the stars and once something is done, it can’t be undone.

But what if that isn’t true?

If you could rewrite the stars and unbreak your heart, would you?

REVIEW: ⟫ I wasn’t expecting this to make me bawl – I really wasn’t expecting it to hit me so hard. Jesse H. Reign builds the story of Romeo and Jude slowly, so simply and easily that when the fall-out happens, it’s devastating. I was literally sobbing when the photographs on his cell-phone were revealed. I don’t want to inadvertently do any spoilers because I think this story needs to be approached completely fresh and unspoiled.

Think childhood friends to lovers, with misunderstandings and heartbreak before they finally find their way back to each other – it’s the simplest way I can describe something so complicated, painful and sometimes enraging! I loved both characters – I loved how complex they were, how easy it was to see how they felt about each other. I loved the fact that Jude came across as clear and open before you realise that he is much more closed off than originally appears – so much of his thoughts and feelings are in his head and he expected Romeo to understand and realise what was going on.

I especially loved Romeo but I cannot explain why. He could have been annoying, too easy-going, unable to open up but he was actually the easiest for me to understand after it all.

There is no attempt to hide the ‘wrong’ things that happen and perhaps it would have been interesting in the epilogue to find out what happened with the situation back in Alabaster, but overall, I absolutely adored this book and cannot recommend it enough.

Save the Game by J.J. Mulder (SCU Hockey Book #2)

TITLE: ⟫ Save the Game

AUTHOR: ⟫ J.J. Mulder

SERIES: ⟫ SCU Hockey Book #2

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ After a traumatizing event and rough sophomore year, Max Kuemper does his best to keep his head down and not draw attention to himself. School and hockey are the only two things he can handle; it’s all he can do to keep himself afloat. He wants to forget about what happened to him and bring the secret to his grave.

Confident and flirty Luke Kelly likes to play the field—dating as well as baseball. When he meets Max during a night shift at work, he takes an instant liking to him, despite the other man’s reserved exterior and shy personality.

But secrets have a way of coming to light, and both Max and Luke will have to come to terms with what that means for their relationship.

REVIEW: ⟫ By no means the easiest thing to write about, I can only say how impressed I was by how J.J Mulder handled this issue. The manner in which we get to see and feel how Max is handling things, as well as Marcos, was incredibly touching and I admit, I spent a lot of times on the verge of tears whilst reading this book.

Luke was incredibly special. He went from being a cheerful, easy going, almost light figure to someone that Max could rely on for understanding, assistance and love and the two of them together made me feel so hopeful. They didn’t try to pretend that things weren’t difficult, weren’t perfect, needed breaks, but ultimately it felt like they were fighting together for something and I found this so precious, so special.

It was lovely to see Carter and Zeke again and I enjoyed the fact that it was a cameo that let us know how they were doing without making it feel like they were horning in on Max’s book. I really AM going to read the Coach’s book but my TBR pile is teeteringly tall so it may take a while, but I have promised myself it’s going to happen!!

I hope we get more from SCU Hockey because the people feel so real – faults and all – but ultimately the kind of people you want at your back.

Beyond Reason by Lee McCormick (Beyond Book #2)

TITLE: ⟫ Beyond Reason

AUTHOR: ⟫ Lee McCormick

SERIES: ⟫ Beyond Book #2

RATING: ⟫4.5 /5

BLURB: ⟫ Sometimes the hardest thing is being the only one left alive.

Axel Fetterman: The Cleaner

Twenty-two years ago, my world ended. I was called to a scene to find the man I loved, cold and lifeless, on the ground. Every moment between now and then has been nothing more than existing between one breath and the next while dealing with the grief of losing the one person I couldn’t live without.

When a man shows up at my door telling me he’s Xavier, I don’t know what to believe. On one hand, it’s impossible—on the other, I’ve never met another person who makes me burn the way he does. Is believing in the impossible too good to be true?

Xavier Benham: The Killer For Hire

Twenty-two years ago, I died. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but I’m alive again. Whatever screwed-up experiment brought me here, I won’t waste the opportunity. I can’t remember most of my life. I can’t remember much, but I can remember him.

Axel.

I’ll do whatever I have to if it means getting back to him, and whatever it takes to become the man I used to be. The only thing standing in my way is the company that brought me back and their determination to rectify their mistake.

~~~

Beyond Reason is a dual POV dark romance with a twist on soulmates that answers the question of how long a man can wait for the person he’s destined to be with. Prepare yourself for angst, high heat, high emotions, and a killer for hire who is suddenly thrown into a world he doesn’t understand. Guaranteed HEA with a universe that’s wide open for exploration! Best read after Beyond Time.

REVIEW: ⟫ No, like seriously, who do we have to kill to get a TV series made about these books? I need this in my life – for science or whatever! This book was explosive from the beginning – Xavier and Axel do not have the healthiest relationship – think slamming each other into things, weaponry, lots of kinky sex – and yet by the end of this book, they were pretty much relationship goals. Alongside Seth and Kade – oh my, my appreciation for Seth actually grew.

Apart from the insane relationship dynamics, choosing who I wanted for the next instalment, and biting my nails waiting to see just how damaged these guys were going to be by the time they got their happily ever after (in this lifetime), the plot kept me fascinated, the ideas behind the science were intriguing and troubling, and my admiration for the world that Lee McCormick has created just grew exponentially. If you have read the previous Beyond book, you know the premise, but I still don’t think you’re ready for this ride.

There were times I wanted to kill Xavier myself – he sometimes was more annoying than Kade and that’s saying something – but ultimately, I finished this cheering despite being sick with COVID (again). Petition to live in Lee McCormick’s brain alongside her characters but not as one of the bad bad guys please!

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Haunted Hotel by Vawn Cassidy (Crawshanks Guide to Mischievous Spectres and Spirits Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ The Haunted Hotel

AUTHOR: ⟫ Vawn Cassidy

SERIES: ⟫ Crawshanks Guide to Mischievous Spectres and Spirits Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Have a frightfully good stay…

Morgan Ashton-Drake hasn’t given his ancestral family home in Yorkshire a second thought in decades, even if it is technically part of his hotel empire. He has a great life in the States, so what if he works eighteen hour days seven days a week? you don’t get and keep a place on the Forbes 500 list unless you’re prepared to sweat blood.

But when a suspicious death and rather public scandal at his childhood home forces Morgan to return to England for the first time in years he’s determined to close the hotel which has been a millstone around his family’s neck for centuries. What he didn’t count on was the seriously cute little blonde disaster who seems to be single handedly running his grandfather’s hotel.

Ellis Sparks has worked at the Ashton-Drake Manor House Hotel since he was sixteen and he loves it from the bottom of his soul. Always the eternal optimist and ray of sunshine, he’s never met a frown he can’t turn upside down, that is until he meets Morgan Ashton-Drake the grumpy, silver fox grandson of his employer.

With barely any staff and unable to attract or keep guests, Morgan is determined to close the hotel for good and Ellis is just as determined to convince him otherwise, but when strange things occur, Morgan begins to wonder if there’s more to this eccentric hotel than he thought.

From the creator of Dead Serious comes this hilarious grumpy/sunshine spin off which will leave you wanting to book your own room at The Ashton-Drake Manor House Hotel.

REVIEW: ⟫ Set in the same world as the Dead Serious verse, this a new series from Vawn Cassidy, complete with ghosts, twinks, all kinds of rules and regulations and shenanigans! This is very much an ensemble piece, with the main romantic character playing off beautifully against the backdrop of ghosts who have broken the rules, a beautiful old home that needs saving, and family.

I loved these characters when they appeared in Dead Serious – who isn’t going to fall in love with a Bartender that can barely see over the bar and never speaks? And as for John the Maid? I’d love him to take care of my home!

The actual plot is very simple – Morgan has come to the hotel to figure out what’s going on and perhaps find out what happened there when he grew up. He has a grumpy exterior yet you watch as he falls in love with the hotel, the staff, his grandfather but most of all Ellis. Ellis is a literal ray of sunshine and the grumpy/sunshine trope shines in this introduction to the new verse.

Special mention to Warren for his meddling ways and inappropriate commentary! If you’ve read any of the author’s other works, you’ll know the kind of banter to expect, the sexy scenes and the romance that permeates the whole story. I loved reading this story – it was absolutely everything I needed as I recover from COVID. Looking forward to reading more and can highly recommend.

I received an ARC from the author.