Berserk by Romilly King (The Teams Book #5)

Title: ⟫ Berserk: A Hurt Comfort Gay Romance (The Teams Book 5)

Author: ⟫ Romilly King

Blurb: ⟫ Come along with Berk and Snipe on a road trip to inner peace.

I’m a vegan rage machine who will try any alternative therapy to calm the beast inside me. He’s a gun crazy sniper who until now looked at the whole world through his scope.

We aren’t a match made in heaven. We argue constantly. We like to pretend we are barely friends but he’s the only person I can tolerate when the anger gets out of control.

There is a resonance between me and Snipe and I’m going to help him get over the life changing injuries he got while on a mission with me.

I’m calling it duty.

He’s calling it pointless.

I’m not stopping until we’re both in a better place. Whatever it takes - sweat lodges, crystals, howling at the moon. We’re going on a road trip together and we’re gonna get healed.

Berserk is the fifth book in The Teams Series. It’s a hurt comfort story of the complicated relationship between a man with anger management problems and an ice cold killer who needs to find a new way of being. Expect weird therapies, much banter, and a strangely sweet love story.

Review: ⟫ If I had paid to read this book, I would be steaming angry.

This was – it wasn’t even hurt/comfort so much as just – I cannot even express what this book is. Actually, I can. It’s an insult.

The Teams has always been about what happened to the handlers and witnesses after the programme closed down. And I was really looking forward to finding out how a man who defines himself by his ability to be an amazing sniper would deal with losing half of his sight and his manual dexterity. This book was full of alternative healing methods – sometimes feeling like it was taking the mickey out of them – and the relationship between the two male leads was just not explored at all. I was expecting hot alpha males and got limp lettuce. I kept reading expecting things to get hot, to get interesting, but by the time I got to the end I was just raging with disappointment. This book was a shambles and I hate that I spent the time looking forward to it and reading it.

I give it 1/5 and only because it means I can stop waiting for the series to end and know that this is the final nail in the coffin.

The Suit by Amy Lane (Long Con Adventures Book #4)

Title: ⟫ The Suit (Long Con Adventures Book 4)
Author: ⟫ Amy Lane
Blurb: ⟫ Two and a half years ago, Michael Carmody made the biggest mistake of his life. Thanks to the Salinger crew, he has a second chance. Now he’s working as their mechanic and nursing a starry-eyed crush on the crew’s stoic suit, insurance investigator and spin doctor Carl Cox.

Carl has always been an almost-ran, so Michael’s crush baffles him. When it comes to the Salingers, he’s the designated wet blanket. But watching Michael forge the life he wants instead of the one he fell into inspires him. In Michael’s eyes, he isn’t an almost-ran—he just hasn’t found the right person to run with. And while the mechanic and the suit shouldn’t have much to talk about, suddenly they’re seeking out each other’s company.

Then the Salingers take a case from their past, and it’s all hands on deck. For once, behind-the-scenes guys Michael and Carl find themselves front and center. Between monster trucks, missing women, and murder birds, the case is a jigsaw puzzle with a lot of missing pieces—but confronting the unknown is a hell of a lot easier when they’re side by side.

Review: ⟫ Firstly, I haven’t read the other books in the series which meant that I felt a little bit like I’d been thrown into the deep end from the beginning. I would say that although it can be read as a standalone, reading the other books will help you with all of the names and characters because for quite a while, I was absolutely lost.

Have you ever seen Ocean’s Eleven? The one with Brad Pitt and George Clooney? Think of it as settling down to watch Ocean’s Twelve or Thirteen – you know there’s history and backstory, that the previous versions were amusing and entertaining as heck, but you don’t have time to watch them first. That’s how I felt reading this book. There were so many characters involved, so much history that could obviously only be alluded to in this book. I felt like I was missing out but I didn’t really have time to read them before diving into this book.

Michael and Carl were absolutely lovely – they seemed like complete opposites who brought out the best in each other. Unfortunately, their relationship felt like it got more than a little bit lost in the whole heist/murder birds thing. The story was engaging and headed towards an entertaining set of circumstances that had both Michael and Carl being brave, courageous and romantic.

As always, Amy has written loveable characters who you care about; unusual circumstances and a whole entertaining roller-coaster ride that you couldn’t make up in your wildest dreams. This book was a lot of fun to read, and perhaps the previous ones will join my TBR pile. You know what you’re getting with an Amy Lane book and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this one.

I received an ARC from the author.

Saint's Song by Garrett Leigh

Title: ⟫ Saint’s Song
Author: ⟫ Garrett Leigh
Blurb: ⟫ Expect: a fragile king, a sweet-hearted henchman, an enigmatic hitman, and a fight to the death.

Cam, Alexei, and Saint have survived their battle with the devil, but with too many enemies to count, can they survive the war?

“Kill me,” I choked out. “If he’s dead, you gotta kill me too.”

One club, one heart.

Three men, one soul.

Can loving someone kill you? I feel like the world is ending every time I look at them.

Cam. My brother. My president.

He’s the love of my life

And then there’s Alexei. I didn’t know I could feel this way about one person, let alone two. But I think of him in every breath I breathe for Cam. Every thundering beat of my heart. Because there is no Cam without him.

There is no me. My life wasn’t worth living until I found something worth dying for.

And I’d die for them a thousand times.

Saint’s Song is the second in a hurt/comfort, biker romance, MMM duet from the world of the Rebel Kings MC. Content warnings inside the book

Review: ⟫ Well, that was a ride and a half, no pun intended. I wasn’t sure exactly how Saint fitted into the dynamic between Cam and Alexei but I must admit, I see how it worked. They make an intimidating, powerful and beautiful trio and their journey was fascinating. It wasn’t easy and there was no magic trick to how they worked out, but I did enjoy reading about the aftermath to ‘Devil’s Dance’ and how the Rebel Kings moved on from there.

The relationship between the three men went beyond just physical, especially with regard to Saint who was not as sexual as Alexei or Cam – they accepted him the way he was with no questions, and that was really beautiful to see. Saint himself was a fascinating character, and seeing more of his inner thoughts was enticing. The backstory we got on him was heartbreaking.

The reason for 4.5 stars was that sometimes the story felt long and drawn out, and some of the drama regarding Viktor, etc felt extraneous but I imagine it was important for upcoming storylines. Now that was just my feelings and other opinions will vary. I did enjoy the impending sense of doom as our three guys worked on their relationship, but sometimes I just wanted them to get on with it.

The other relationships within the MC were set up and it was clear who would be getting a story. Devil’s Dance and Saint’s Story have made me consider joining Garrett Leigh’s Patreon and I have also added the Skins Box Set to my TBR list.

I received an ARC from GRR. 

Brother by Marina Vivancos

Title: ⟫ Brother
Author: ⟫ Marina Vivancos
Blurb: ⟫ Nathan had always loved his twin brother. How could he not? They had been inseparable since before birth. They’d shaped each other. Were each other’s homes.

But even love, Nathan knew, could go too far. Too deep. So he had tried to keep his distance—had gone to a different college, tried to make a life without his brother.

Now that they’re both back home for summer, though, Nathan doesn’t know how to escape the way he feels…or the way his brother might feel in return.

Review: ⟫ If the title wasn’t enough of a clue to let you know this one is incest (or twincest) then consider this your only warning.

The writing was very good – imagery was crisp and clear, and you got a sense of what Nathan was struggling with very strongly. The whole story is told from Nathan’s perspective. As the quieter twin – the nerd versus the popular jock – you very much felt his confusion, sense of loss and general disquiet. Because of how he feels about his brother, Nathan decided to go to a separate college and is feeling the pinch of being alone for the first time ever – the hurt is palpable and you feel for him deeply.

There are a few flashbacks where you learn a little more about how protective Simon is of his twin. However, one of my favourite moments was when Nathan’s mother was talking to him and telling him a story that outlined so strongly the depth of Simon’s need for his brother – it gave another side to his twin that Nathan had never considered and it changed things quite a lot.

I really enjoyed the story and only wish it had been longer. The sex was quite visceral as Nathan gave himself over to belonging to his brother completely, and I think it was quite telling with regard to how much Simon had been fighting the same things as his brother. If twins or something being taboo are one of your kinks, then I think you’ll find this book enjoyable and I’m happy to recommend it.

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Alpha Contract by Eliot Grayson (Mismatched Mates)

Title: ⟫ The Alpha Contract (Mismatched Mates)
Author: ⟫ Eliot Grayson
Blurb: ⟫ Sometimes you get what you pay for. Sometimes you get more than you bargained for...

Brook's alpha-centric family doesn’t respect him. He'll only succeed his father as CEO if he takes an alpha mate. But an alpha is the last thing he wants. Brook likes to be on top, in life and in bed.

A paid mate seems like the ideal solution. The alpha can run interference with Brook's family, but Brook will be in charge. When he hires Dimitri, a rough-around-the-edges criminal who's deep in debt and desperate enough to take any job, Brook expects a transactional relationship. One night together to form the mate bond. Simple.

Dimitri's never been with another man, but how bad can it be? Even if Brook is a snobby rich dude, like his family. Only he isn’t. He's funny, honourable, open-minded, and surprisingly vulnerable…and an unexpectedly willing lover. Dimitri's protective instincts are as aroused as his body.

Brook can’t help responding to Dimitri's kindness, humour, and ability to take charge in bed and out—something that's never appealed to Brook until now. And that makes things anything but simple.

It's supposed to be a means to an end. A mutually beneficial arrangement. But for this to be anything more, they'll have to expose their family secrets and admit their real feelings…

The Alpha Contract can be read as a stand-alone and is only loosely related to the previous book in series, Lost Touch. Contains an alpha-for-hire, a wealthy executive with a plan, and plenty of knotting. This series does not contain mpreg. HEA guaranteed.

Review: ⟫ Firstly, I would definitely agree that this is only tangentially related to the Mismatched Mates series – in fact, I would go so far as to say that it does it a disservice to tack it onto the end as readers may be disappointed or confused expecting something more like the other books.

However, if you read this book as a complete stand-alone, I reckon the love will be for real. I have seen a few people express concerns about certain aspects of the book: Dimitri being completely straight initially, his comments about how he is able to perform sexually with Brook, and aspects of Brook appearing to have extremely female characteristics whilst being a man.

And I can understand and appreciate them.

However, I found this book engaging and entertaining. It made me giggle at some of their interactions, the sex was hot, and the almost cartoonish villains just added to the whole thing. I guess I would suggest you suspend belief and just enjoy the good writing, the snark and banter, and the guaranteed HEA. This book made me smile, sigh and generally feel happy and I think my appreciation for it is based on that more than anything.

I’ve enjoyed the Mismatched Mates series and would love to read more, but perhaps this book could be the beginning of another, different series in it’s own right? Definitely recommend if you are looking to escape for a few hours and deserving of a 4/5 from me.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Platonic Rulebook by Saxon James (Divorced Mens Cliub #2)

Title: ⟫ Platonic Rulebook (Divorced Mens Club #2)

Author: ⟫ Saxon James

Blurb: ⟫ Griff:

Walking away from my marriage was my idea of a fresh start.

My kid is in college, my ex-wife and I are on good terms … but being single in my forties is a world different to being single in my teens.

I’m thankful for my best friend, Heath. He’s got my back like he always does and is ready to take me out and show me how the bachelor life is done.

He was never supposed to show me literally.

After we wake up in bed together, I can’t stop looking at him differently, and one thing becomes abundantly clear.

I talk a big talk about wanting to be single, but my platonic rule book has gone out the window.

Heath:

When my best friend comes to me for help post-divorce, I’m only too happy to impart my wisdom to him.

After all, Griffin isn’t my type, but even I can tell he’s a complete lumbersnack. Good with his hands, kind eyes, and a killer smile. All the guys and gals are gonna eat him alive.

But the more time we spend together, the less “not my type” he becomes. I’m the one who can’t get enough of him.

Neither of us is interested in a relationship, so what’s a little fun between friends?

We both know the score.

Review: ⟫ Saxon James has rapidly become an auto-buy for me. I love the style of writing, whether it’s hockey players or friends to lovers – I know I’m in for a lovely ride, with maybe a little angst but ultimately a satisfying HEA. And book two in the Divorced Mens Club doesn’t disappoint.

Griff and Heath are so obviously each other’s person that it’s a wonder it took them so long to get together. Although, obviously with Griff being married there was that in the way. There is no cheating in this book – Griff’s marriage is well and truly over before he and Heath begin their no-strings relationship.

My only gripes were with Poppy and Felix. Poppy because she threw Griff in at the deep end with the hotel they managed together and seemed to want him to fail – that seemed more than a bit mean, and Heath was justifiably ticked by it. Felix annoyed the heck out of me, but I guess we’re all a bit dramatic at 18, so I’ll cut him some slack.

Payne was back from the first book, and there were some delicious hints about the other members of the DMC which has whetted my appetite for future books. Fun, hot, sexy and satisfying, I happily recommend this one to add to your TBR.

NoX by Adrienne Wilder (Wolves Incarnate I)

Title: ⟫ NoX (Wolves Incarnate I)
Author: ⟫ Adrienne Wilder
Blurb: ⟫ A nude man invades Luca Suarez's home and protects him from creatures who cannot exist. Creatures hunting him. The stranger can't tell Luca why. He can't even tell Luca his name. He remembers nothing until the moment he sees Luca. The only hint Luca has to the stranger's identity is a tattoo on his wrist: N o X.

NoX doesn't know who he is, but he's sure of three things, his memory loss is temporary, the monsters chasing Luca are called Anubis, and his Alpha, Koda, sent NoX to protect him. There's just one problem… Koda is Luca's brother who was murdered five years ago.

With each passing hour, NoX fills in the pieces painting an impossible truth. And with each passing hour, both men find themselves inexplicably attracted to each other. Something Luca is willing to embrace because he has nothing left to lose. And one NoX can't let happen because it could get Luca killed. NoX is a HEA/HFN m/m paranormal, science-fiction romance. But be warned, these are NOT the shifters you are used to reading about.

Review: ⟫ This book was a sprawling, engrossing and fascinating alternative view of shifters that I was surprised by. The only thing I can compare it to is a shock fan-fiction masterpiece that you discover out of nowhere, with incredible attention to detail, world-building and lore.

It was also confusing as heck.

I don’t get quantum physics – I barely understand basic physics. And there was a LOT of physics in this book. Like, some of the time I felt like I was reading a textbook. I can only imagine that this was/is a passion project for the author, because it is so completely obvious that a lot of time and effort went into this book. Unfortunately, the explanations and world building got in the way quite a few times – there were occasions where I just wanted to skip over the physics and get back to the relationship building between Luca and NoX.

The physical relationship between Luca and NoX was blistering hot, and the confusion for NoX as to whether or not it was him or the Anubis that was so attached to Luca was intriguing to read. If the Anubis wasn’t part of him, would he have such an instant and huge attraction? And for Luca, how much of it was because this was his first chance to experience life? He had been living under a death sentence and suddenly his life is invaded by this gorgeous man who needs to save and protect him, as well as show him things that he never imagined he would have the chance to experience for himself.

NoX’s relationship with Koda and his fellow betas was interesting to read, but I would imagine a few people might be a little squicked out by the fact that Luca was basically beginning a relationship with his twin brother’s ex. That’s boiling it down to it’s lowest denominator, but perhaps the scenes with the ichor and Koda as the Alpha could have been shortened and not quite so explicit.

I really enjoyed reading this book, although sometimes it did feel like a bit of a slog. The last say 20% sometimes felt a bit rushed, which feels weird to say about a book this long. Perhaps if there had been less physics lessons earlier in the book, this wouldn’t have been the case.

I feel like this book could benefit from a ruthless editor to cull a lot of the exposition, or dumb it all down just a bit to make it more accessible. There were also quite a few spelling and grammar errors that pulled me out of the story. I only mention these because again, this is a very long book and it would be easy to lose some of the audience because of these issues.

I was lucky in that I found this book after the sequel had been released, so I didn’t have the long wait that a lot of readers did waiting to see what happened next. It very much ended on a HFN/cliffhanger which could have been aggravating if I had had to wait for the next instalment. I haven’t read a lot of Adrienne Wilder – after reading NoX and Anubis, I downloaded Wild to see what the writing is like in a different arena. I will follow the Wolves Incarnate series to see where it goes, but I hope that in the meantime, Adrienne’s team help to cull things a little and make the stories a little easier to consume.