Filo has been the sole occupant of a communications station on the edge of space for 3 long years. H4 Hearts
Space, smex, and the holidays? Sign me up!
Filo has been the sole occupant of a communications station on the edge of space for 3 long years. He opted for the isolation in a bid to escape the chaotic crowded life on the colony and though he’s a little lonely, he wouldn’t trade it for anything. When he gets a distress signal from a stranger, he's surprisingly grateful for the company. Luz is uber friendly flirty, seemingly sending a bunch of mixed signals. However, Filo's not going to overstep his boundaries. He's simply going to enjoy the companionship despite the at times awkward camaraderie.
Blending a bit of sci-fi with romance is just my cup of tea. Add a beast of a gentle giant in Filo trying to be a good friend and a gentleman despite his lustful feelings is even better. Lucky for Filo, Luz takes a chance at using Christmas to make a move. This had some very nice UST, and when things finally spark between these two?! Cheers!
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review
For more reviews on this week’s Advent releases, please check out the blog!!
Who doesn’t like an opposites attract romance set amongst the holiday?
Poor Sam never had a family nor any Christmas cheer growing up, but wh3.5 Stars
Who doesn’t like an opposites attract romance set amongst the holiday?
Poor Sam never had a family nor any Christmas cheer growing up, but when his new neighbor Jay, says hello with a curious fruitcake, it’s a fucking revelation.
Ensue some mild back and forth as Sam is determined to get more of the controversial treat. Beware lots of insecurity on Sam’s part but it’s hard to resist a gentle giant who needs and deserves so much love. Add a polished guy who has his own sad story and these two nicely get over their hangups!
Perfectly serviceable in scratching the itch but admittedly, my preference lies with Ervyn and Lochan.
Here, Tazar is a powerful mage, and his3.5 Stars
Perfectly serviceable in scratching the itch but admittedly, my preference lies with Ervyn and Lochan.
Here, Tazar is a powerful mage, and his specialty is exorcizing very bad demons when the situation is warranted. When he’s called to investigate Inuel, a rare alpha demon, for possible illegal activity, he never thinks his magic would mesh so perfectly with the enigmatic creature, a pull so powerful that neither can resist.
Cut to two and a half years later and Tazar is understandably bitter as he tries to overcome a broken heart. He knew that alpha demons weren’t the commitment type, but he didn't think it would hurt this much. Thankfully, his mandated respite from magic is due where he’ll technically be trapped in a healing sanctuary to rest and rejuvenate for 30 days. Imagine Tazar’s surprise when he realizes the very demon he never thought he’d see again is stuck right alongside him, forcing both of them to confront their feelings.
Again, I love Bacon’s The Order universe, and I enjoyed myself visiting it, but this just didn't tickle my fancy as the other entries have done previously. This was too far off into the periphery, too far removed from the Imperial Capital and all the characters I want more stories about. Also, my greedy little heart wanted to see Tazar and Inuel’s relationship grow and develop and implode and devolve and then be pieced back together.
Overall, I’m appreciative, and any fan should enjoy this novella about a dominant demon and the prickly mage he loves. I’ll be over here in my corner ready and willing to devour Bacon’s next story and hopefully, we readers won’t have too long to wait!...more
The blurb tells you everything you need to know. Due to the tragic murder of the majority of the royal family, the newly crowned ruler Zaya, is thrust into a role he never thought was a possibility. One of his duties is to traditionally visit the venerated place of Heartwood which houses all the knowledge of the realm. There he learns that illegal magic is embraced where they take in those gifted to train them to hone their skills.
Though Zaya balks at first, he’s more openminded to this “new’ paradigm. It definitely does not hurt that he is educated through the patient tutelage of the powerful sage Col, making him realize that the fear of magic is basically unfounded.
This was a pretty sedate MM romance that is sweet with some sexy as Zaya and Col get to know each other and develop feelings. There is a sinister storyline running parallel showcasing Zaya’s mad older brother Orzei who is biding his time to make a move for the crown.
Overall, Ringle succeeds in immersing the reader in this fantasy alternate universe, providing a well thought out plant based magical system and giving Zaya and Col a solid HEA....more
Nick and Charlie are growing up, and their somewhat idyllic school bubble is about to burst.
This was a wonderful chapter in their lives as the4 Stars
Nick and Charlie are growing up, and their somewhat idyllic school bubble is about to burst.
This was a wonderful chapter in their lives as they are both branching out, finding their own individual way, but always coming back to the other, solidifying their love and their commitment.
Super sweet first times and the growing pains that come along with it. I have no doubt Nick and Charlie will weather life’s challenges together forever and always!!...more
Look. For me, Alexei and Sean are the top couple of this series, and their wedding and subsequent honeymoon is not something I would say no4 Stars
Look. For me, Alexei and Sean are the top couple of this series, and their wedding and subsequent honeymoon is not something I would say no to.
Of course, this being Alexei and Sean, you know shenanigans are inevitable in terms of baddies, gunfights, and things exploding spectacularly. Toss in Prince Liam and grumpy MI6 agent Oliver that sets things up for their book, and I’m already there with my soda and popcorn!
Sexy, full of action, and found family. This was an obvious win!...more
These days, contemporary MM doesn’t hold as big a lure for me as it once did. In my old age, I like to avoid angst and miscommunication and ru4 Stars!
These days, contemporary MM doesn’t hold as big a lure for me as it once did. In my old age, I like to avoid angst and miscommunication and running away from one’s issues/problems. Thankfully, none of that was here.
Scott is world weary, cynical, and people avoidant. All he wants is to bake his confections with little fuss and to basically be left alone. Who knew comforting the exact type of person he tries to avoid at all costs - a chatty beam of sunlight - on a transatlantic flight would be the chance encounter that would change his life. In contrast, Theo is in a major life transition, trying to take the safe route instead of cultivating his creative strengths. Lucky him that a surly sexy baker is just the push he needs to reconsider his plan.
My return to Hayes’s recent releases has been a surprising success. The characters were drawn well, their insecurities valid, and the chemistry was on point. So if you want a really easy opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, age gap romance that was full of banter and sexy, with a bit of hurt comfort and some yummy feels then this is for you!
Basically a recap of what has happened in the previous three entries but from Leo and King’s point of view, and I give props to Co3.5 Stars Rounded Up
Basically a recap of what has happened in the previous three entries but from Leo and King’s point of view, and I give props to Cochet for closing out this 4 book story arc that culminates in a very romantic event.
These 6 men forever bonded by their military service are finally settling down and really digging deep to be their best selves and live their most deserved happy endings with the loves of their lives. A very feel good visit, made all the sweeter with the spirit of Christmas!
Still easy breezy like the first two installments!
The pace is picking up as Lawton and his merry band of found family continue their journey on3 Stars
Still easy breezy like the first two installments!
The pace is picking up as Lawton and his merry band of found family continue their journey on finding the source of an insidious magic plaguing the realm.
The romance is sweet between this necromancer prince and his alpha half-orc lover, and I only want their happy ending to be fully realized. I’m confident that I won’t have any worries about that coming to fruition....more
Chapter 2 in this serial starts with orc Berklak and necromancer Lawton setting off on their fact finding adventure! For company, they bring al3 Stars
Chapter 2 in this serial starts with orc Berklak and necromancer Lawton setting off on their fact finding adventure! For company, they bring along a druid tracker, 2 knights for protection, a magic wielding bard, and a human demigod.
Easy going as this jolly group gets to know each other and start forming found family bonds in and among fighting off evil elves and various monsters.
The journey has just begun, and I suspect a lot more trials await us readers! ...more
Now I’ve only read one other Jennifer Cody book, and it was silly and ridiculous. Here, I was pleasantly surprised as we3.5 Off to a Good Start Stars!
Now I’ve only read one other Jennifer Cody book, and it was silly and ridiculous. Here, I was pleasantly surprised as we follow the half orc Berklak, and he’s definitely not like the others. In this AU, orcs are given a wide berth but they’re the best type of mercenaries, violent and efficient and apparently, known as very skilled lovers as well. Berklak has the distinction of being a self made orc, “licensed” from several guilds and certified in many skills, able to use his money to sponsor those less fortunate members of society in a well paying trade. When Berklak notices strange violent things afoot on his travels, he knows some dark magic is at work and he’s more than willing to offer up his services.
Enter Prince Lawton, shunned by family and society because he’s a necromancer but powerful enough to still be Sorcerer of Highest Regard for the realm, he too has noticed an insidious magic saturating the kingdom. When his path crosses with Berklak’s they decide to team up on a fact finding adventure, and Lawton is only too pleased to spend time with someone who doesn’t fear or hate him.
This is like a crossover of every fantasy trope, situation, and creature out there. As recently evidenced, I don’t have the best of luck with serials, but I’m hopeful with this story. This first chapter of supposedly 5 installments sets the stage for the upcoming adventure, and I’m going to shortly check out the second that was just released! ...more
The stakes keep getting higher and higher but also, equally satisfying is to see how vested both Raul and Brad are as this has slowly morphed3.5 Stars
The stakes keep getting higher and higher but also, equally satisfying is to see how vested both Raul and Brad are as this has slowly morphed into the traditional ABO romance we love to enjoy.
There’s lot of contingencies and as many allies as there are foes who are ready to mess with Raul and Brad’s bond.
This has been a fun ride reading about their unconventional story, and I look forward to the conclusion! ...more
Brad finally gets his wish come true and finds himself back home, back in sane reality. Funnily enough, he realizes the irony that he actual3.5 Stars!
Brad finally gets his wish come true and finds himself back home, back in sane reality. Funnily enough, he realizes the irony that he actually misses Raul, that though it was a “dream”, nothing ever felt so real.
Luckily, Brad discovers his hallucination was a result of a rare happenstance of events that he’s so very desperate to replicate. However as he, his brother Devon, and various frat bros try to reunite him with Raul, the repercussions of dabbling in things they do not know of has some unwanted unpleasant side effects…
This continues to be a fun and an original story within a trope that’s so well known!
Here we continue Brad’s journey as the beleaguered omega of a popular ABO romance!
He for sure isn’t going to take his situation lying down, and4 Stars
Here we continue Brad’s journey as the beleaguered omega of a popular ABO romance!
He for sure isn’t going to take his situation lying down, and it’s hilarious to see him resist resist resist.
Equally entertaining is alpha wolf Raul who tries his darnedest not to throw fuel on an already blazing fire, but it’s hard to predict how Brad will react to Raul’s understandably protective nature, especially since Brad may be pregnant!
What’s a straight dude bro to do?!
Stay tuned for the next installment as Brad gets his “wish” to return home ...more
Just like the blurb says, Brad somehow finds himself stuck in his brother's favorite paranormal romance novel where he’s the omega heroine, reg4 Stars
Just like the blurb says, Brad somehow finds himself stuck in his brother's favorite paranormal romance novel where he’s the omega heroine, regardless of the fact that he is a macho straight dude bro who can’t even fathom kissing a guy let alone becoming his destined mate.
This was all sorts of funny and a very entertaining take on the romance tropes we as readers enjoy no matter how ridiculous they may look to newbie Brad who is fully cognizant that he’s in a coma? Dream? Parallel reality?
Whatever got him there, Brad needs to get out fast before he succumbs to Raul and his magical mystical pheromone fueled appeal, especially as Brad’s omega existence decides to go into heat! This ended abruptly, and I look forward to more of Brad’s desperate resistance to his new mind boggling situation!...more
I don’t know if it’s because I miss this group of military badasses or what, but I’m not sorry that I highly enjoyed myself with this no frills4 Stars
I don’t know if it’s because I miss this group of military badasses or what, but I’m not sorry that I highly enjoyed myself with this no frills novella about Trevor Sanchez from the renowned now disbanded Alpha Team.
Turner never fails the reader on action or smex, and she even threw in some hurt comfort vibes. Who knew that Trevor was smart, sensitive, and caring while defeating bad guys with a mere thought of his powerful ability of telekinesis. More please!
As with all ensemble series, seeing everyone else do their thing and lovingly give each other shit was the proverbial icing on the cake, and I just gobbled it up! ...more
This latest and last installment deals with quasi uncouth jock-ish caveman Ezra, who drives persnick4 Stars
Consistent drama free, easy breezy reading.
This latest and last installment deals with quasi uncouth jock-ish caveman Ezra, who drives persnickety proper-ish Holden absolutely bonkers. When antagonism turns into a wager, turns into lust and exploration, these two agree to keep it simple fun with no commitments.
Not as OTT as some of the previous books, each guy has had their own sad past and struggles. Also, Ezra had a bit more thoughtful self contemplation as well, pondering what would happen should he get attached to Holden and what that would mean for his future.
However, don’t worry. This was plenty smexy explicit and reassuredly, Hayes has made it a consistent point to keep this very low angst. That’s how I like all my romances to be, and I’ll take them any way I can get them! ...more
Another win for the wonderful world of Samantha Wayland!
Though this doesn’t focus on hockey players per se, there are plenty of past charact4.5 Stars
Another win for the wonderful world of Samantha Wayland!
Though this doesn’t focus on hockey players per se, there are plenty of past characters that make significant appearances, and now once peripheral characters Jack (bff of Garret) and cop Grady (who's made several appearances) get their turn to shine.
Jack and Grady have been besties for several years, always with certain boundaries and clear cut rules. Though Grady has been pining for forever, he would never pressure Jack into more. Grady’s got a terrible family and has resigned himself that being alone is just something he will bear for the rest of his life. Jack has had very unfortunate circumstances and feels he doesn’t deserve happiness either. These men hold each other at arms length for different reasons, but when both of them are struck simultaneously and literally with their pasts, they naturally gravitate towards each other for comfort and security.
And how that turns into so much more.
This is angsty and emotional. There might be triggers for some. Both have had it rough and difficult, and it was gratifying to watch them fall for the other effortlessly. Is this a little long? Is it a little cheesy? Yes it is. However, if you enjoy an interconnected series (that’s not advertised as a series) and you love gleeful fun found family dynamics, this overall is a great addition to the Wayland universe!...more
This wasn’t my favorite installment, because when it comes to main characters Jaime and Kyle, they’re just not as compelling for me. Now gran3.5 Stars
This wasn’t my favorite installment, because when it comes to main characters Jaime and Kyle, they’re just not as compelling for me. Now granted, they have a good love story, they are obviously more together than apart, and they complete each other in and outside the bedroom. However, D/s will never be my cuppa, and they don’t just put a toe in the water, but their entire bodies are well and truly submerged, and that’s totally fine. It’s simply a dynamic that never titillates much at all personally.
Regardless, I can’t fault Turner for her storytelling. When action, suspense, fight scenes, and military tactics are needed, she brings it head on and feeds your imagination as a fully realized cinematic movie on page. Despite personal quibbles, there's plenty of found family (high five to kick ass Katie), life threatening situations, and bad guys dying deserved deaths (albeit too quickly to truly satisfy my blood thirsty self).
The main story arc is concluded here, and I look forward to visiting some other cast members in the remaining few books left in this very well thought out alternate future dystopic universe. A shout out to Sean and Alexei! Props to you, your trials, and the love you clung to to get you through all your heart stopping ordeals. I’ve only got mad respect....more
The second installment pretty much picks up where the first book ended. Silas, our reluctant hero, a newly arisen Ankou, who can see troubled3.5 Stars
The second installment pretty much picks up where the first book ended. Silas, our reluctant hero, a newly arisen Ankou, who can see troubled spirits and lay them to rest, is slowly healing from his most recent battle. His relationship with his guardian, daemon Tobias is still quite fragile, often with Silas being the whipping boy for Tobias’s foul mood.
Overall, I enjoyed this second installment as some questions were answered, mainly dealing with Tobias’s mysterious past and why he’s been banished to the human realm, but also in the works is a greater conspiracy that involves evil causing trouble in the unlikeliest of places. Just know that everything about this series is S-L-O-W. The reveals, the character development, the romance (still just anxious lusty feelings that one tries to deny while the other tries to aggressively incite). Silas is very much tentative in his role of fighting evil spirits, but he’s sticking up for himself a bit more despite being stymied often with the mysteries of his unknown former life and his irrational fears. Tobias continues to be an absolute unapologetic profligate, but one can see that his sharp, often antagonistic caustic personality is just his protective mechanism, and it will be quite interesting to see how his walls crumble.
This is labeled as gaslamp fantasy, but it’s literally historic paranormal horror intermixed with all sorts of creatures who have villainous hidden agendas who treat humanity as their playthings, while the still mysterious Order of the Dawn tries to mitigate this sinister manipulation. Mix that with the slowest of all slow burns and you’ve got a solid, rich AU with plenty of flawed characters who fight the good fight and who hopefully will find redemption and happiness along the way!
Thank you to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review
* A Reader Obsessed *
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