Sasha Fountain

This tale is a steamy one for sure (and not just in the bedroom), but it also has this lovely, homey vibe that I totally adored.

Meet Jeff, the family court judge, and Iggy, the aspiring law student. They've got a couple of decades between them in age, but there's this cute little fella called Wally - Jeff's charming grandson - who creates perfect moments to bring them together. It all starts when Wally takes a tumble from his not-so-well-assembled new bike. Sure, the age difference is something they have to deal with, especially for Jeff, but their chemistry is on fire and these neighbors simply can't resist each other.

There's this character who stirs up trouble big time. He had a significant effect on Iggy when he was just fifteen and continues to be a hostile presence, even causing tension in his own family. His part in their story adds a real-life touch. He's someone hiding his true self, filled with self-loathing, blaming others and spiraling down a path of self-destruction.

Big thanks to GRR for letting me sneak an early peek at this treasure! Just thought I'd share my two cents about it!

Just finished reading this age gap story by Sam E Kraemer. Yeah, there's a gap, but it only seems to bug Miles, the older fella. Monroe (or Taylor as some call him) doesn't bat an eye. Gotta say, I really liked these two guys. But you know what? A bunch of the side characters caught my attention too - they really added something extra to the tale.

The pace of the book was pretty good, although I must admit it slowed down a bit when it delved into legal and corporate matters. Not gonna lie, I didn't quite get all those technicalities even after reading them. Makes me wonder if there could've been a simpler way to present them without losing any crucial details.

What I absolutely loved was how the family drama was depicted - messy and complicated just like in real life. It's never just one person's fault and even older folks can mess up big time. Despite most of the characters living in a higher tax bracket than most of us, their problems felt relatable.

Now let's talk about the chemistry between Miles and Monroe - boy, was that fun to read! Sparks were flying everywhere and it was hot as a boiling pot! What I found cool was that it wasn't always Miles calling the shots just because he's older.

Anyway, grabbed this book through GRR and thought I'd share my two cents here.

This was a good enemies-to-lovers romance with a side of accidental pregnancy. Tariq and Sara initially disliked each other, but they had definite chemistry. It was a fantastic read, and I loved the opposites attract trope within it. This romance drew me in, and I'm excited to read the rest of the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Meet Stone Dooley, a top-notch doc and a super dad to his twin girls, Megan & Madison. After losing his husband, life has been pretty tough for him. But his daughter thinks it's time for a change and she wants a new man in her dad's life. So, she sneakily signs him up on an online dating site and even sets up a date!

Stone, not too thrilled about this surprise date, decides to meet the guy just to clear things up. What was supposed to be a quick drink turns into dinner but Stone isn't ready for anything more than friendship.

Enter Theo Hill, a freelance writer whose life isn't exactly going as planned. His latest story is stuck in limbo and when Stone makes him an offer he can't refuse - becoming the manny to his girls - he jumps at the chance! Plus, Stone gets to be Theo's grandad's doc! Talk about killing two birds with one stone!

Their journey is filled with surprises and secrets waiting to be uncovered. From dealing with loss and homophobia to facing rejection from parents and custody threats - it's all handled beautifully by the author! And let's not forget about the well-drawn secondary characters who add so much depth to the story.

There were certain parts I wish were more fleshed out though, like Theo's first meeting with the twins. Would've loved to read that in detail!

The ending had me scratching my head a bit with all those new names. It wrapped up everyone's story nicely!

Big shoutout to GRR for giving me an early look at this gem! Just thought I'd share my thoughts on it!

Monarch Rising by Harper Glenn
4 Stars

Monarch Rising is set in a dystopian future, where a rebellion overthrew the rich and prominent. Jo lives in the Ashes, the poverty-stricken land on the outskirts of New Georgia. She has one chance to make it out of the Ashes through the Line Up, where a select few are chosen to go live in New Georgia. Those chosen escape a life of hunger and poverty. What awaits Jo is a boy trained to break hearts and crush souls.

There are quite a few triggers that I wish had content warnings at the beginning of the book, but overall I enjoyed the book. Both Jo and Cove have experienced fear and desperation in different forms. While Jo's stems from hunger and poverty, Cove's stems from the emotional and physical abuse he has experienced.

Thank you to Harper Glenn and @hearourvoicestours for sending me the copy for review.

This story is my introduction to this series, and I really enjoyed it. Everett's redemption arc was satisfying, and I loved the romance aspect of the book. Everett spent a lot of time proving to his cousin and the crew of the Dark Wing that he was a changed man, which I appreciated.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Caleb is dealing with the aftermath of the fire and the arrival of his older brother Adam. They have a strained relationship and haven't seen each other in almost two decades. We get more background about Wiley due to the unexpected visit from her parents. We learn that she left to get out from under their thumb and live her own life. The character's backstories are getting fleshed out, so I am enjoying learning more about them. I'm looking forward to part three.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

5 stars
3.5 spice

I loved Catch and Release Groom, although I did not read the other books in this series.

Imogen is a runaway bride who broke off her engagement because she knew it would have been a mistake to marry her childhood sweetheart. She did not expect to go on her honeymoon alone after giving up on her dream honeymoon in Rome. She's determined to figure out her new life post-breakup while on this trip.

Easton is jilted groom who still has a lot of resentment about being left at the altar, leading him to judge Imogen harshly at first. When they first meet, they don't exactly hit it off. They are both attracted to each other, but there is also a lot of annoyance there. They can't decide whether they want to throttle each other or find the nearest bed. That makes their agreement to be in a fake relationship extremely fun. I loved the slow burn of them getting to know each other and seeing past their preconceived notions about each other. Easton's puppy Gator was soo cute throughout the whole book.

I liked Easton's friend group and how supportive they were throughout the book, and they were not afraid to call him on his bs.

The one thing that irked me was that I would have loved to get a bit more time focused on the resolution. Easton plans his grand gesture with a few of Imogen's friends, and I would have loved to get a bit of him discussing this plan with his friends or even her friends. I would have liked Imogen not immediately to accept his apology without a bit of pushback. She was working on standing up for herself for the whole book, only for her to cave at the end.

Overall I loved the book, and I want to thank Turn the Page Tours and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an ARC copy of this book for my honest review.

This book is a sapphic retelling of Snow White. If you like creatures of ocean lore, pirates, and sea witches, this is the book for you.

From the start, this book is full of action. This is my first sapphic fantasy romance, and I enjoyed it. The camaraderie amongst the pirate crew is top-tier. The book is written in dual POV, which I love because it fleshes out both the main characters and their romance.

I enjoyed this unique Snow White retelling.

I received a free copy of this book via Book Sirens and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Love Without Reservations is an excellent grumpy/sunshine MM romance.

Noel drives from Canada to fetch his sister before her visa expires and is upset that she has fallen in love and is determined to stay. Aaron is a local inn owner who intervenes and offers Noel a place to stay while he is in town.

The novel has some challenges, but the journey is well worth it because we see the guys navigate their differences and feelings for each other.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Ashton is an Alpha Phoenix shifter unhappy with seeing his ex every time he goes to work. So he chooses to move to a small town and get away from his ex.

Jeff is a human Omega who is determined to break a long family tradition of going into politics, and he does not want to become the Mayor of their small town. Jeff wants to find an alpha to love him and start a family.

Jeff's best friend, Lavender, signs him up for a dating app and arranges his first date. Jeff and Ashton have an awkward first date, and Jeff is unsure whether Ashton is happy with their date. Meanwhile, Ashton has recognized Jeff as his fated mate.

I loved how they got their HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Overall: 3.75 stars rounded up
The Immortal Jewels box set was okay overall. My favorite novel was Beneath the Opal Arc.

Beneath the Opal Arc
I loved Remy and Laurence. I liked that from the beginning, we learn that Laurence has been a bit bored and tired due to his long life and that his reaction to Remy was an exciting thing in the monotony of his life. Remy's curiosity was perfect for this story because he was the ideal character to help introduce this world. Their relationship and HFN were great to see. Learning about Valeri, Laurence's sire, concerned me about the second book.

Across the Sapphire Sea
I was worried about this story due to the content warnings given. Valeri was unlikeable in book one, but he was not as villainous as expected during the previous novel. Valeri's relationship with Elias is highly toxic, and I could not engage with the book because of my disdain for Valeri.

Beyond the Ruby River
This novel felt different than the previous two novels. Mahu and Daka were engaging characters and I enjoyed seeing them fall in love. I am glad that they eventually got their HEA.

Over the Emerald Valley
I loved Temaj and Solon together because their interactions were always fun to read. I liked how Solon and Temaj figured out how to have a life together.

I received a free copy of this book via GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I've wanted to read a Wendy Rathbone book for a while, so I was excited to receive a copy. This is the second book in the multi-author Perfect Match Agency series.

Kace is an omega with Heat Repulsion, a condition that causes painful heats. Due to his condition, his doctor recommends that he find a compatible alpha or take medication to prevent his heats and miss out on the chance to have children. His doctor also recommends Perfect Match Agency which uses genetics to match Alphas and Omegas.

He is paired with Morgan, an Alpha he finds unappealing and dull. He was also distracted from his date with Morgan by the scent of Storm, Morgan's assistant. Storm is an alpha who distrusts omegas due to an omega he dated in high school. Storm initially came off as a bigot because of all the negative opinions he espoused about omegas. There is a serious case of instalust like many fated mates stories. Storm and Kace can't forget each other after their brief meeting before Kace's date with Morgan. They trigger each other's rut and heat and quickly realize they are meant to be. This was a short and fast-paced fated mates story.

I received a free copy of this book via GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.

4.25 stars
Spice: 4

It took me some time to warm up to the characters in this book, but overall I enjoyed it. Both MCs were complex, and the plot was a bit messy but intriguing. There were many fun moments, but things also got serious when it came to Cloud's grief and Rainer's reasons for being a douchebag.

Cloud and Rainer had their own struggles and baggage, which explained the facades they presented to the world. It's murky at first, but throughout the novel, we learn about the heartbreaking story surrounding Cloud's best friend's death. His guilt is so heavy throughout the book that it's a relief when the actual cause of Zane's death is revealed near the novel's end. Cloud slowly let his vulnerabilities show and grow while his relationship with Rainer evolved.

Rainer seemed to be the typical rebel son with an I don't give a shit about anything attitude at first. We quickly learn that he is so much more than that. He is committed to his facade, but as the novel progresses, we see his vulnerable side, and he grows as a person through his relationship with Cloud.

A first hint about the real side of Rainer is through his interactions with his brother Anson. Anson is brooding and troubled, and his behavior gets erratic as the book progresses, and Rainer learns about the incident that broke his brother. Rainer's father is a slightly prominent side character who threatens Cloud and Rainer for different reasons.

This book was very spicy, but a lot of the sex was used to avoid the real issues that both Rainer and Cloud were experiencing. The mindless sex was a coping mechanism for Rainer that Cloud also developed to bury the emotions and the things they did not want to discuss. I appreciated the spice, but at a certain point, I just wanted them to take some time to discuss their issues honestly.

Rainer's family was a subplot in the book that became more prominent at the end. I won't spoil what turns out to be a significant revelation from Rainer's family. I wish we got to see more about Rainer's relationship with his family because it would shed some more insight into how he became the person we met at the beginning of the novel. Rainer's father was initially a random annoyance, but as the novel progresses, we see how despicable he is.

The major revelation was an unexpected twist, and the ending was satisfying, which I appreciated.

Thank you to GRR for an ARC copy, and I have voluntarily left my honest review.

I was excited about the book after the way they reacted to each other in Scott and Travis' book. Henry is the campus Heartbreaker, known for being great for one night and nothing more. He rules the roost at school and plays up his playboy status, but he has one weakness, Anthony Andino. After kissing him and cutting off their friendship, he has pined for Anthony for years.

Anthony showed interest in Henry in Book 1 by getting his number from Travis. The beginning overlaps with the boxing match from Book 1. We see what led to Henry saving the day and helping out Travis. Henry and Anthony used random excuses to be around each other.

We learn about Henry's insecurities due to his parents touting Anthony as a golden boy. Anthony was hurt by Henry dismissing their friendship and giving him the cold shoulder. The push that led Anthony to push his way back into Henry's life was his obligation to Henry's family for paying his tuition. I loved how they got their HEA. I look forward to the Hellhound's book next!

Thank you to GRR for an ARC copy; this is my honest review.

I was excited to see this enemies-to-lovers story after seeing Rafe and George's interactions in book one. The romance in this book did not disappoint at all.

We already know that George is the uptight captain of Now, Voyager, and Rafe is Rowan's younger brother, a model turned photographer. In book one, we learn that they can't stand each other after an argument they had at Christmas dinner.

Rafe is using Now, Voyager, for a photo shoot and wants to avoid George as much as possible for the next two months. While they are rude to each other, they both can't deny that the other person is attractive.

They have a lot of tension and can't help but be at each other's throats at first. George takes the step to apologize to Rafe by having the crew arrange dinner for them. During the dinner, they are surprised because they get along and have a great night together, which is a turning point for them.

George is demi, so he needs connection before intimacy, which took him a long time to come to terms with. When talking about sex, George refers to it as lovemaking, while Rafe has always been about a quick fuck without emotional attachments.

Rafe has never experienced romance, and George loves old-fashioned romantic gestures, which catches Rafe a bit off guard. As the story progresses, we see George being attentive, helpful, and protective, showing Rafe that he is his. We see something beautiful growing between them.

The story started rocky because of George and Rafe's history but quickly became a romance. George and Rafe's characters are developed well and were endearing. I loved their HEA, which was well worth the wait.

I received a free copy of this book via GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I really enjoyed this novel. Getting invested in Alex and Jamie's lives and romance was easy. Seeing their friendship develop into something more was wonderful. The progression of their romance and the spice in the book felt age appropriate. Sometimes YA characters are written like adult characters, but Alex and Jamie embodied the tension and angst of adolescence. Jamie experienced culture shock moving from San Francisco to Jacksonville. Alex is the star quarterback, is also class president, and maintains stellar grades. Alex had always considered himself straight until he befriended Jamie and developed a crush on him. Alex had to battle a lot of internalized homophobia throughout the novel, and it caused arguments with Jamie, and even their breakup stemmed from that. I love how they got their HFN. My only wish is that we got an epilogue to see a bit of Alex and Jamie's future. Overall I loved this romance!

I received a free copy of this book via Gay Book Promotions and am voluntarily leaving a review.

4.75 stars
Spice: 4.5

This book was an interesting take on the a/b/o verse. Here Weres do not fully shift into wolves; they take on lupine aspects like larger physical bodies and reproductive organs. In this universe, Omegas are rare and highly sought after, but traditionally they are subjects and pretty much owned by Alphas. There is a rift within the Were society between older traditionalist Weres, who want to keep the status quo and bring back older, barbaric customs, and the younger generation, who wants to move into the future and create a more equitable society.

The story starts on the eve of an old barbaric custom; an omega hunt. During the hunt, Alphas hunt and forcibly claim kidnapped Omegas.

Jamie is a human who works a bar frequented by Weres, and on the night before the hunt, he is accosted by what he doesn't realize is an Alpha in the bathroom. He manages to escape the bathroom, and he runs into Asher, the local pack Alpha who captivates him, and Asher is also drawn to Jamie. Asher almost gets into an altercation with the Alpha, who accosted Jamie, and finds out that a council elder invited the Alpha and his pack into Black Creek territory to run an omega hunt. Asher is surprised and upset to learn that an omega hunt has been planned on his territory.

Jamie finishes his shift and goes to sleep in his car because he is unhoused. He feels like he is catching a cold, and he wraps himself into his sleeping bag and is trying to get some sleep when his car is broken into and is abducted. We find out that Jamie is a rare human Omega which is why the Alpha came onto him in the bathroom. We find out that he is going into heat, which he does not understand. He was abducted to add another Omega to the hunt.

When the omegas are let out to begin running for the hunt, Asher recognizes Jamie as his mate and joins the hunt. The first encounter between Asher and Jamie is definitely dubcon because Asher realizes that Jamie believed the whole situation was a dream and could not consent to the claim, so he did not claim him.

The story has dark elements, but the plot does not dwell on them, and I wish the author fleshed out the story a bit more by exploring those elements. Jamie is snarky and doesn't take shit from anyone. Asher is a very progressive Alpha who sees the value of other designations of Weres, like Betas and Omegas, in leadership.

The book was very spicy and is a good read for folks fond of fated mates, knotting, and mpreg.

Thank you to GRR for an ARC copy; this is my honest review.

4.5 stars

Justin is the kind of guy who does one-night stands and has his ex-girlfriend bust in the next morning to scare off that guy. He doesn't do relationships. Gabriel is a notorious flirt who connects with everyone he meets, and while he enjoys hooking up, he wants more. I liked Justin better than Gabe despite his penchant for jealousy. Justin is a bit insecure, which is what fuels his jealousy, and at times Gabe plays into that to rile up Justin. Gabe is great at his job, but the rest of his life is a bit self-destructive. Gabe deals with an extremely homophobic family that we get a peak at during the book, and I wish we got a moment where he confronts them and reads them the riot act. We do get Justin standing up for him, and that's when I realized that his whole family is horrible people. Justin's relationship with his mother has really affected him because he lived his life in the shadow of his brother, and that caused the rift between them. Gabe really played up the flirting which gets annoying at points, and his connection with Eric was abrupt, and the weird fixation Eric was really desperate. But overall, the romance and HEA were what gave the book the extra .5 above the four stars I was planning on giving the book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was my first read by Chloe Archer, and I really enjoyed it. It was cute, heartwarming, and the perfect introduction to the Monsters Hollow series. This story was more plot than spice, but I didn't mind because it was a lovely cozy read. Emrys and Jayden were so great together, and I hope we get to see more of them throughout the series.

This book was cute and sweet, with a good dose of steam. AJ is a Hollywood actor looking for a break from his actor persona, while Diego is an LA caterer trying to get away from a scandal in Hollywood and feeling unfilled in life. They both end up at Diego's family cabin, and they end up stranded together after a snowstorm together, and after a rocky start, they end up falling for each other. AJ is a bit of a brat, and as the story continues, we understand that it is due to his traumatic relationship with Graham, an ex-boyfriend who has also decided to ruin Diego's life. AJ and Diego have great chemistry, and it's nice to see how their relationship develops. Diego was extremely patient with AJ despite the occasional bouts of bratty behavior. The ending was good, but I wish there was more story between their reunion and the epilogue.

Thanks to GRR for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.

Kieran has just been released from prison after a 20-month sentence for a crime he did not commit, and he plans to find out who set him up. Kieran has been let down his whole life by his parents, the foster care system, and the justice system. He gets a job at Redemption Ranch and finds himself drawn to Finley, a horse trainer with a magic touch. This read was full of angst because Kieran has a lot of built-up distrust. I'm not a big fan of slow burn, but Aimee wrote it well, so I enjoyed reading this.

Thank you to GRR for providing this ARC for my honest review.

This was a sweet low-angst friends-to-lovers story. Nolan and Ellis are bandmates and best friends who grow closer after Ellis experiences a traumatic event. As the story progresses, they want more from the relationship, and they fear what will happen if they take the next step and whether they will lose what they both share. Their relationship was portrayed realistically, and I loved seeing their relationship develop as the story progressed. I did not enjoy Perry's reaction and aftermath of that situation but it was a small part of the story. Overall I loved this sweet and slightly steamy friends-to-lovers romance. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to GRR for a copy of this book for my honest review.

This is a contemporary gay enemies-to-lovers romance featuring two men who were manipulated and dumped by the same man. Patrick is reeling from the end of his 2-year relationship with his ex Aubrey. Aubrey manipulated Patrick and told him blatant lies about his ex Charles. Aubrey was older and more knowledgeable in wine than Patrick. He taught Patrick a lot about wine, so when an opportunity came for Patrick to lead a wine tour, he jumped on it. He ends up facing Charles, his ex's ex and realizes why Aubrey had avoided one particular winery.

Charles is not impressed to see Patrick the person Aubrey ended their 7-year relationship to be with. Charles was manipulated and emotionally abused by Aubrey, and that cut down on his self-confidence, confirming his belief that he has nothing to offer in a relationship. As the story progresses, Patrick sees a lot in Charles. After some short encounters and a bad accident, things start to change for them. Both Patrick and Charles start to see their lives and each other differently.

I gave the book 4 stars because things start to go a bit off the rails after those realizations. There are major personality changes that don't have much explanation. Also, there are many relationship-ending challenges that are easily resolved without much introspection. Despite the interesting plot choices, I end enjoy this book.

Thanks to GRR for the ARC copy for my honest review.