review

Getting Kinky (It’s a Kink Thing) By M.C. Roth: New Release Review

March 29, 2023 by Denise

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Book five in the It’s a Kink Thing series

If your husband hates kink, can you still get kinky?

“ You want to kneel, sweetheart?”

Elliot is stuck in life, living a lie while doing his best to pretend he’s happy with his husband Hunter. Hunter has picked up the pieces so many times that Elliot has lost count, and he feels terrible asking for anything more— especially when it’s something that Hunter hates.

But after Elliot convinces Hunter to attend an event at the kink club Unkinked, Elliot finds a place where he doesn’t have to feel ashamed about the submission he craves.

While Hunter pouts on a bar stool in the club, the mysterious Dom Shelvin is more than happy to give Elliot a tour, somehow knowing in moments what Elliot desires so deeply. Elliot can’t let that night be the last time he sets foot inside Unkinked, even if Hunter doesn’ t understand why.

His brave face only lasts so long, and soon he confesses what he really needs— something Hunter can’t give him.

But making a contract with a Dom who isn’t his husband comes with conditions— conditions that Elliot will struggle not to break.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

I’ve been enjoying this series, partially because it doesn’t strictly follow the established path of this genre. Each book is just a bit different than another, but a bit more realistic than some bdsm. That being said, this one fell away from the HEA that I was looking for…in part. I won’t go into how and why, but it did, which since I was reading expecting more of an HEA or HFN, I figured out about halfway through that was not going to happen.

Elliot definitely was lying about loving his life, to himself, as much as others. And let’s be honest…his husband was a world class dick in many ways. But he was still put in an awkward position at the beginning.

Shelvin was still willing to put himself in the middle of it, and he doesn’t have any issues with making Elliot kneel right in front of Hunter. He’s definitely the S in bdsm, and doesn’t let Elliot get away with anything. But I wanted to see a bit more of his softer side. That being said, he really didn’t have one.

I didn’t love this, simply because it wasn’t what I was looking for in this book, but still well written, and really hits the realism well.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Prowl (The Game Series Book 12) by Cara Dee: New Release Review

March 28, 2023 by Denise

The Game Series • Book 12 • Sequel to Apex Predator • MM+MM • Primal Play • D/s • ADHD in Romance • High-Protocol Kink • Age Gap • Second Chances • Ethical Non-Monogamy
The vacation is over for the four men you met in Apex Predator, and now it’s time for Ty and Walker to be on the prowl to secure their happily ever afters.

What do you do when you come home from a vacation that changed your life?

Walker McKenna was finally back with his husband and beloved submissive, Macklin. They had their work cut out for them, and they were ready. Walker had spent four years trying to get over the love of his life, and it just wasn’t happening. He couldn’t go back to that life-sucking void of an existence. But that didn’t mean his new path was paved with roses and unwavering confidence. When the ghosts of past hurt and insecurities grabbed hold of both men, Walker had to go on a hunt once more—and this time was different. This time, he found support in a new friend. A man with a fresh take on life, devilish charm, and a mission of his own.

Ty Madison returned home to DC and the blizzard of the year. He had one goal. To make Lane his—permanently. Ty couldn’t just write off the insane week they’d shared down south as a vacation fling. They belonged together. But before he went after the young man, who had his reasons for avoiding attachments at all costs, they had a storm to weather, and Ty found himself alone in his house with Walker. A man with insight, incredible charisma, and troubles of his own.

Maybe some missions were best executed as a team.

The Game Series is a BDSM series where romance meets the reality of kink. Sometimes we fall for someone we don’t match with, sometimes vanilla business gets in the way of kinky pleasure, and sometimes we have to compromise and push ourselves to overcome trauma and insecurities. No matter what, one thing is certain. This is not a perfect world—and maybe that’s why the happily ever after feels so good.

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This one is tough for me. For the most part, I have really enjoyed this series. BUT, I feel like the focus is moving from couple (or throuple or quad) dynamics to events at McLean House.

For many books now we have know that Macklin was married but separated and his husband was in Boston. There wasn’t a ton of info given, but there was big time animosity on Macklin’s side- the only side we really saw. But in the book previous to this one, Macklin and Walker faced each other AND their issues. It was a little too easy for me, but *shrug*.

Now they are back together, albeit slowly. And one of their biggest issues was consensual non monogamy. And Walker jumps right in with Ty without talking to Macklin first. Like DUH! Yes, it was a blizzard and there was no power or cell service but come on. You’re grown men. Keep it in your pants.

Besides that, Ty was drawn to Lane. But he gets naked with Walker. Yes, I know this is the start of a fabulous foursome. But the lack of communication bothered me. And they even seemed to taunt Macklin and Lane by “connecting” on the kink website.

So Walker and Macklin are primaries and Ty and Lane are primaries, but Macklin and Lane are boyfriends and Walker and Ty are boyfriends. And that’s all well and good but there just wasn’t enough growth within the primary couples for me.

There’s also a demonstration at McLean House about high protocol and TPE. Kind of interesting…but too much. I got bored. I also got bored reading about all of their different thoughts on their dynamics without doing a lot about it.

And I was really looking forward to the big, all four guys sex scene. But it was kind of ruined for me by taking place in a hot tub outside while it is freezing out. Sorry, you can’t fully explore when you want to be shoulders deep in the warm water.

I need more intimacy. More of the men being together. Not talking about reptiles. Not explaining TPE. Not voting on the hottest photos (yes, in epilogue 2? 3?). I want the men. Together. Discovering each other. Learning about each other. INTIMACY.

I guess that is really what is missing for me. Intimacy.

3 pieces of candy

The Romantic (The Vers Podcast Book 2) by Riley Hart: Release Day Review

March 27, 2023 by Denise

Parker

When it comes to The Vers, the queer podcast I host with my best friends, I’m The Romantic. The one who’s looking for love in all the wrong places. If there’s a jerk close by, I’ll find him. I’m beginning to think my Mr. Right doesn’t exist.

It’s definitely not Elliott Delgado Weaver, the shameless flirt who keeps asking me out. We’re not supposed to run into each other in Vegas or get drunk together. We definitely aren’t supposed to wake up married…only, we do.

Before we can figure out what to do, Elliott’s family finds out. He doesn’t want to let them down by telling them it was a drunken mistake. My parents had the perfect marriage until my mom passed, and since I’d hate for my father to discover what I did, Elliott and I decide to pretend we’re in love and stay married for six months. Better to amicably divorce later than own up to our screwup, right?

All I’ve ever wanted is my happily ever after, and now I live with a serial hookup artist who never planned on settling down.

But then, why is Elliott so good to me? He takes me on dates, makes me laugh, and touches me like I’m someone to cherish. He’s shown me I’m a sucker for praise, and lucky for me, he loves giving it to me. Our marriage is playing tricks on my heart because suddenly I’m wishing my happy ending can be with the husband who doesn’t think love is for him.

The Romantic is a wake-up-married, opposites-attract romance with tons of praise, an unforgettable massage, found family, and sweet moments on the pier.

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Oh Parker. The Romantic who dreams of finding his happily ever after with the perfect guy. But he keeps attracting losers. In the first book, we witnessed one guy who would constantly visit Parker’s bakery and make it a point to talk to him and ask him out. Parker always said no.

But now in book 2 we get a little backstory as to why Parker always says no. And, yanno, valid reason. But fate brings them together, sort of, in Las Vegas. And they wake up married.

For various reasons, they decide to keep up the ruse before quietly getting divorced in 6 months or so. Oh the best laid plans…

And somehow they go from married, to married roommates, to married roommates with benefits before the truth smacks them in the face. Especially when they discover Parker’s praise kink. And how much Elliott really enjoys spoiling and taking care of Parker. So Elliott, the guy Parker was determined not to date, turns out to be a perfect husband.

I’m really glad that Parker got his happily ever after in book 2. I was afraid that he would be the last. Having watched his best friends all find their mate. And I really liked that Elliott didn’t do relationships for a reason other than being hurt badly in the past. He just doesn’t think love is for him because he never seemed to have those butterfly feelings for anyone.

We get some fun scenes with the Beach Bums (and Sebastian) as well as meeting Parker’s dad and Elliott’s parents.

This was a fun read that was a slow burn. But once that fire was lit- wowza!

You don’t have to read book 1, but you should. After meeting all 4 guys in the first book, you’ll be as invested as I am waiting for each to find love.

4 pieces of eye candy

Liar City: A Novel (Sugar & Vice Book 1) by Allie Therin: New Release Review

March 25, 2023 by Denise

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A murder has Seattle on edge, and it falls to a pacifist empath—and a notorious empath hunter—to find the killer before it’s too late

It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law.

Soon, Reece’s caller arrives: a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side.

As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…

“Readers will be yearning for more the minute they finish the final page.” —Library Journal, starred review, on Starcrossed

Sugar & Vice

Book #1: Liar City

Amazon

This author can world build like few others I’ve read before. Just fantastic world building. I felt a bit lost at the beginning, but soon got into it. It’s well worth the time invested.
It has lots of action, intrigue and mystery. The twists and turns in the plot are intricate, and keep the reader guessing.

There is definitely an undertone of how we treat “the other people” which is so relevant to the society we live in today.

Reese was hilarious to me (his rules about driving a car cracked me up), but also tore my heart out from all he had gone through as an empath. He and Grayson together were funny, but this isn’t really a romance, at least not at this point.

However the book worth jumping into this series and finding out what this world is all about, and seeing where these two take us. Also, I am going to jump back and grab the audiobook too, because the only thing that would have made it better is having Joel Leslie read it to me. 🙂

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Dexterity Check (Dungeons and Dating Book 5) by Katherine McIntyre: Quick Review

March 20, 2023 by Denise

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Eli’s sworn off irresponsible flirts, and Arjun’s one of the worst—aggravating, provoking, and everything Eli can’t resist.

After fifteen years in the military, Eli Reynolds has returned to San Francisco with broken dreams and a broken heart, courtesy of his now ex-boyfriend. He’s determined to avoid anyone like his cheating ex—which means steering clear of Tabletop Tavern’s resident flirt, Arjun Gupta.

Arjun wants a break. Ever since he added his grandmother’s nursing home to his monthly bills, he’s drowning in debt. On top of his job as chef at Tabletop Tavern, he’s been stripping at nights to cover the extra costs. She’s worth every sleepless hour, but he’s desperate for relief—of any sort. Too bad Tabby’s cousin Eli is too high and mighty for a fling.

Eli and Arjun can’t seem to avoid each other, and with each collision they realize more and more that they might have misjudged—especially when all those sparks spill over into something hot and unforgettable. However, when Eli’s folks decide to move across the country, Eli needs to choose: remain in the place that reminds him of his failures or start over fresh—and if Arjun isn’t here for keeps, Eli can’t risk his heart to stay.

Roll the dice on romance at Tabletop Tavern…

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Okay, so I’m late to the party, what else is new? Dexterity Check is the first book in this series that I’ve read. I don’t have any excuse other than I think I was worried I would get lost in the D&D references. Which, of course, I did. However, the author kept the references easy and light, so the reader didn’t have to actually know anything about D&D to enjoy the book, or the Tabletop Taver (which is a BRILLIANT name, I have to say). So, with my lack of gaming knowledge, I ventured in, and am so glad I did.

I loved Arjun, a snarky, sassy man, who kept himself at a distance from everyone, because he was so afraid of everyone leaving him. He only ever could count on his Nani, and did not want to take any further chances, until he had no choice, and had to ask for some help. Side note: having dealt with my father, all his medical bills, his strokes and other medical issues, I understood the emotions Arjun expressed. The anxiety when you get a phone call in the middle of the night, or you rush over to find out what’s happening, without even stopping to put on your shoes. I lived that, and the way he felt, is exactly how I felt. Alone, scared, and afraid to count on anyone else. And I will say, personally…it was a little hard to read sometimes, but very well done.

Meanwhile, I appreciated that Eli, just home from the military, with a broken heart and no idea what to do was drifting. Sometimes, former military are portrayed as coming home and just jumping right into life, knowing what they need to do, etc. Eli did not have that. He was bouncing from one thing to another, not putting down more roots than he already had down, trying to rekindle family relationships, and struggled quite obviously with depression. He couldn’t seem to appreciate what he had to give the world, only what the world had given him, in all the negative ways. It was heartbreaking to see how much he struggled to keep moving forward sometimes.

These two settled each other, in different ways. Arjun needed someone steady, someone who would show up when he was needed, even if he wasn’t called. He needed to feel safe, but still held so much up to what he wanted in life. Eli, on the other hand, needed Arjun to bring some light into his life. He needed someone to bring back some fun, and some super sexy times…Arjun fit that bill perfectly. They offset each other in all the best ways.

The side characters, which likely were featured in the previous four books, were a mixture of all types of people, drawn together by the Tabletop Tavern. They supported each other, and enjoyed hanging out playing whatever game was on the docket that day. Eli’s cousin, Tabby, never let Eli feel he wasn’t wanted or cared for. They had a great relationship.

All in all, a good story, with lots of fun and sass. Definitely recommend. And now I may need to go back and check out the rest! Or wait for Charisma Check, book 6 and final in the series to come out in May.

Confetti Hearts by Lily Morton: RB, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review *2, and Giveaway

March 15, 2023 by Denise

. .

Joe Bagshaw doesn’t believe in love or marriage anymore, which is rather a hindrance for a wedding planner.

His own marriage was a whirlwind affair that ended before the ink could dry on the wedding certificate. Nevertheless, even with his divorce pending, he’s getting by. Or at least he was until he finds himself snowed in at a remote Scottish hotel with the wedding party from hell, a terrible ABBA tribute band, and his soon-to-be ex-husband.

Lachlan has missed Joe from the second his husband walked away. He wants Joe back and is prepared to do anything to get him. Being snowed in together seems to offer the chance Lachlan needs, but does he have what it takes to get Joe to trust in love and their marriage again?

From bestselling author Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy about love, matrimony, and the best of second chances.

This is the first book in the Confetti Hitched series.

Title: Confetti Hearts
Authors: Lily Morton
Length: 81k
Series: Confetti Hitched, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary romantic comedy.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” Lachlan says, looking a little awkward.

“Well, unless you get married and can’t organise things on your own, it would be unlikely.”

“Joe,” Louis snaps. “I’m waiting.”

I ignore him and grin at Lachlan. “So, how long are you here for?”

“Until tomorrow.”

“Well, this has a familiar feeling.”

He studies me, his eyes dark and knowing.

“Joe?” Louis snaps.

I spin to face him. “Louis, do you remember ignoring my words of advice? In fact, do you remember the lovely afternoon when you called me a nagging old woman?”

He shuffles his feet. “I thought it would be fine.”

As if on cue, a cascade of clothes comes sailing past us. Freya has obviously moved to the second balcony. Maybe she’s filled in the other pool and is looking for other options. The clothes land in the pool and sink, rather like the subject of the song currently playing. “Recent events are proving that’s fairly wide of the mark.”

He rallies. “Well, I think you’re being paid as our wedding planner. You got an enormous amount of money to do your job so you should get on with it.”

I put my hands on my hips. “And are you married now?”

“Yes, but—”

“But me no buts, Louis. You’re married. Ergo my work is done. I’m the planner. The clue is in the title. Are you expecting that I’m going to stay with you for a few years afterwards and smooth your way through life? Maybe until you’ve had your fifth child. Does that need to go into my job description now? I’m a wedding planner. Not Nanny McPhee.”

He subsides. “I’ll wait.”

“Thank you,” I say graciously.

Right guy, wrong time. Grumpy, sunshine. Forced proximity. Second chance love. This book was filled with all of the tropes. And I loved it.

Part of the book, I think less than half, is a series of stories of Joe and Lachlan together. How they met. How they accidentally met again. How they met on purpose, etc. It’s quite a whirlwind romance between the two. But that ends when they break up and we get a six month time jump.

Joe is a wedding planner in Scotland for a client’s wedding. And so is Lachlan. His ex he hasn’t spoken to in 6 months. The ex who broke his heart. And then there is a snowstorm stranding them at the hotel/wedding venue. And GASP! no rooms left for Joe so he will have to room with Lachlan.

Over the course of just a few days, they finally LISTEN to each other. Talk to each other. Figure out what happened. Admit their true feelings. And while they had some distractions, including a manager who is sick and devil like twins, they were able to focus on each other without regular life interrupting.

I really enjoyed how they came together on something they will do every year to solidify their marriage. They are also, finally, on the same page.

There were some weddings in there that offered some great humor as well as some smoking hot sex scenes. A page turner for sure.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

It seems like I’m always gushing about Lily Morton‘s books, but there is a solid reason. As I’ve said before, this author is one of the best in this genre in romantic comedy. Hands down. In fact, I very rarely highlight books at all, even less so with ARCs. I had over 10 highlights of some of the most hilarious parts of this book. I’m not going to quote here, because you have to read them yourself, but a couple of ones to watch for are 1) Acapulco 2) game night. I could NOT stop laughing. (I might have scared a cat off my lap…she’s fine, she resettles quickly. 😉 )

Some of my favorite tropes were in this book. Second chance at love, only one bed, and a marriage planner who didn’t believe in marriage. And it all worked so well!

These two took a while to figure their sh1t out. They were both idiots in one way or another…mostly Lachlan, but Joe was not that much better. Lachlan was so afraid of commitment (despite asking Joe to marry him) that he basically pushed Joe out the door. Meanwhile, Joe, Mr. Impulsive, wasn’t exactly a great communicator (they both sucked at it, tbh). His go-to was run, far and fast.

When they finally have no choice but to be in the same room together, they slowly start to work their way through the mess they both made of their marriage. Lachlan turns out to not be a bad guy, just was stupid there for a while. In the end, Lachlan did a lot of great things to help Joe, while Joe was working on what would have been one of the most stressful weddings.

I didn’t get a chance to read Vow Maker because it came out right after I had a pretty major leg injury, and I’m sad that I didn’t get to meet Joe that way, and now I need to go back and read that one, to finish off the Mixed Messages series, which is also hilarious. **Seriously if you haven’t read Rule Breaker with Dylan and Gabe, and the emails…oh, you have to…in fact, maybe I need to go back to that now! Apparently, I will be reading Lily Morton again for a while. 🙂

Loved this one, grab it, read it, laugh with it, and enjoy the happy. And now…who do we get next in this series? Hmmm….

Off to read the additional short story! Yeah!

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author. She writes love stories filled with heat and humour.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

Lily has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – Chocolate Baileys.