Never Hollowed By The Stare

boys love manga | MM romance | indie music | giveaways and more

Never Hollowed By The Stare
  • Home
  • REVIEWS+RECS
    • MANGA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • SOUNDTRACK
    • QUOTE
    • TRAILER
    • DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS
    • BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
    • Reviews A-Z
    • MINI MOVIE REVIEWS
  • MEMES+TAGS
    • MUSIC MONDAY
    • LAST YEAR I WAS READING
    • FLICKer FADE SUNDAY
    • TAGS
    • MISC POSTS
    • PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
    • FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56
  • TOURS & BLITZES
    • COVER REVEAL
    • GIVEAWAYS
  • About + Ratings
    • ABOUT + RATINGS
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • Policy + Contact
  • Home
  • REVIEWS+RECS
    • MANGA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • SOUNDTRACK
    • QUOTE
    • TRAILER
    • DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS
    • BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
    • Reviews A-Z
    • MINI MOVIE REVIEWS
  • MEMES+TAGS
    • MUSIC MONDAY
    • LAST YEAR I WAS READING
    • FLICKer FADE SUNDAY
    • TAGS
    • MISC POSTS
    • PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
    • FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56
  • TOURS & BLITZES
    • COVER REVEAL
    • GIVEAWAYS
  • About + Ratings
    • ABOUT + RATINGS
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • Policy + Contact

Archives

  • May 2025 (51)
  • April 2025 (71)
  • March 2025 (83)
  • February 2025 (72)
  • January 2025 (75)
  • December 2024 (90)
  • November 2024 (82)
  • October 2024 (96)
  • September 2024 (71)
  • August 2024 (99)
  • July 2024 (96)
  • June 2024 (94)
  • May 2024 (94)
  • April 2024 (93)
  • March 2024 (100)
  • February 2024 (94)
  • January 2024 (85)
  • December 2023 (85)
  • November 2023 (84)
  • October 2023 (97)
  • September 2023 (93)
  • August 2023 (100)
  • July 2023 (100)
  • June 2023 (97)
  • May 2023 (100)
  • April 2023 (76)
  • March 2023 (106)
  • February 2023 (104)
  • January 2023 (109)
  • December 2022 (118)
  • November 2022 (128)
  • October 2022 (122)
  • September 2022 (107)
  • August 2022 (118)
  • July 2022 (104)
  • June 2022 (112)
  • May 2022 (114)
  • April 2022 (61)
  • March 2022 (115)
  • February 2022 (88)
  • January 2022 (92)
  • December 2021 (90)
  • November 2021 (114)
  • October 2021 (118)
  • September 2021 (127)
  • August 2021 (84)
  • July 2021 (114)
  • June 2021 (113)
  • May 2021 (119)
  • April 2021 (112)
  • March 2021 (122)
  • February 2021 (101)
  • January 2021 (90)
  • December 2020 (121)
  • November 2020 (127)
  • October 2020 (129)
  • September 2020 (120)
  • August 2020 (131)
  • July 2020 (131)
  • June 2020 (138)
  • May 2020 (118)
  • April 2020 (109)
  • March 2020 (105)
  • February 2020 (99)
  • January 2020 (111)
  • December 2019 (112)
  • November 2019 (94)
  • October 2019 (74)
  • September 2019 (54)
  • August 2019 (51)
  • July 2019 (54)
  • June 2019 (47)
  • May 2019 (43)
  • April 2019 (53)
  • March 2019 (41)
  • February 2019 (41)
  • January 2019 (47)
  • December 2018 (52)
  • November 2018 (51)
  • October 2018 (56)
  • September 2018 (61)
  • August 2018 (55)
  • July 2018 (59)
  • June 2018 (90)
  • May 2018 (60)
  • April 2018 (60)
  • March 2018 (57)
  • February 2018 (51)
  • January 2018 (50)
  • December 2017 (45)
  • November 2017 (50)
  • October 2017 (52)
  • September 2017 (35)
  • August 2017 (50)
  • July 2017 (12)
  • June 2017 (12)
  • May 2017 (21)
  • April 2017 (87)
  • March 2017 (16)
  • January 2017 (5)
  • December 2016 (4)
  • November 2016 (25)
  • October 2014 (67)
  • September 2014 (109)
  • July 2011 (7)
  • June 2011 (14)
  • May 2011 (77)
  • April 2011 (25)
  • March 2011 (5)
  • Uncategorized

    BOOK TOUR: The Duke Steals Hearts & Other Body Parts by Elias Cold

    May 12, 2025 / 1 Comment
    Read More
    neverhollowed

    You May Also Like

    MUSIC MONDAY: Yippie Ki Yay by Hippo Campus

    April 17, 2023

    BOOK TOUR: A Shore Thing Series by Grace Kilian Delaney (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    October 28, 2020

    RELEASE TOUR: Looking Past by Michael Bailey (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    May 9, 2021
  • Uncategorized

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Search for Sasha Lockwood by Thomas Grant Bruso (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    March 2, 2025 / No Comments
    Read More
    neverhollowed

    You May Also Like

    COVER REVEAL: Sweet Hart by Rae Marks (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    March 30, 2021

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Fighting Chance by Anni Lee (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    July 22, 2021

    COVER REVEAL: One for the Road by Kate Hawthorne (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    December 15, 2022
  • Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Secondhand Skin by Hailey Turner

    November 2, 2024 / 1 Comment

    Soulbound: Secondhand Skin – Hailey Turner

    Nothing says you can’t steal a heart. Keeping it though? That’s another problem.

    Wade Espinoza knows a thing or two about hoards. As a dragon, he’s got plenty. What he doesn’t have is a relationship, and he swears he’s not looking for one. But when he’s sent to Boston to answer a cry for help from another pack, he’s drawn into a mess of fae bargains centered around a selkie who Wade instantly becomes obsessed with.

    Riordan Maguire is struggling to keep his selkie clan out of the clutches of a fae lord who will do anything to take over their territory. Partnering with the Boston god pack means coming face-to-face with the first person he’s ever wanted to willingly give his sealskin. Too bad Wade isn’t local and is something altogether strange that Riordan isn’t sure he can trust.

    Amidst a growing danger in the streets and Boston Harbor, Wade and Riordan are desperate to find a way to keep everyone safe. For bargains are dangerous things to break, but so are hearts. Wade isn’t willing to shatter either of theirs in a race against time that could see Riordan torn from him forever.

    Secondhand Skin is an exciting new standalone novel set in Hailey Turner’s best-selling Soulbound Universe focusing on Wade Espinoza.


    Like most MM romance readers, I have an undying love for Patrick and Jono and the Soulbound series by Hailey Turner. But I confess, I got stuck in the middle of the series because my lazy reader brain could not handle recalling all the details of the previous installments and the many things happening in the present.

    One of the most unforgettable characters was Wade Espinoza, the teen dragon Patrick and Jono rescued from slavery. Wade, like all dragons, has a bottomless pit for a stomach.

    I still recall with amusement the scenes where Patrick wondered how he could stretch his government salary because, at the rate he was going, Wade could eat them out of house and home. I really loved Patrick for this.

    Secondhand Skin is Wade’s book. Now 23 years old, Wade has grown into a confident (sometimes overly so), irreverent, fun-loving, sassy, protective, and loyal dragon so adept at hiding his true identity that even powerful beings can’t tell what he is. Still, a bottomless pit.

    His pack gave him a mission to go to Boston to help the dire of the Boston god pack, Ella, find her alphas abducted by an evil fae, Niall. This led him to cross paths again with the selkie, Riordan, whom he met at Gerard and Orla’s wedding.

    The Maguire clan is in dire straits. The same evil fae was responsible for attacking Saoirse and stealing her sealskin. Riordan and his older brother Donal were given the ultimatum to hand over their sister or Riordan. And as the clan leader, Riordan handing himself over means handing over the clan.

    So Wade, Ella and the Maguires banded together to deal with the Niall problem.

    I’m not too familiar with Western folklore so at first I thought selkies were seahorses. The Maguire siblings actually shift into seals! How cute! The relationship between the Maguire siblings is one of my favorite parts.

    A selkie’s most precious possession is their sealskin, which can transform into anything, like a leather jacket for Riordan. Owning a selkie’s sealskin means you can control the selkie. The sealskin is usually gifted to their mates.

    Wade was taught a few tricks by one of the toughest negotiators, Sage, fae-trained lawyer, tiger shifter, and wife to billionaire seer Merek. Our boy also inherited most of Patrick’s brash, not-taking-any-of-your-shit, kamikaze style of dealing with a problem.

    The difference between Patrick and Wade is Patrick will throw himself directly in the line of fire to save someone despite knowing he might not survive. Wade will throw himself directly in the line of fire to save someone with all the confidence that he won’t even be scratched.

    Personally, I thought his characterization here was Gary Stu-ish, like an overpowered anime character. Magic has no effect on him so he’s hardly threatened by anything. If someone becomes too inconvenient, he knows he can just eat them.

    He bulldozed his way into high-level fae homes and gets away with disrespect because of his pack’s reputation and when he releases his dragon-y aura, it intimidates people. Also, he’s on a first-name basis with god-tier folks many people feared.

    He doesn’t worry about spending millions of dollars bribing Carmen the succubus and her master the psycho vampire Lucien because, very conveniently, Wade has a billionaire in his pack.

    So apart from a tragic past, our boy really had it easy, relatively. He even found his mate, Riordan. I loved how the selkie’s calmer energy grounded Wade’s more excitable one.

    I miss the days when our heroes went through hoops of fire in their adventures. Here, it’s the Maguire clan that is put through the wringer.

    But mini gripe aside, this is the same fast-paced, action-packed, completely engrossing magical romp we loved from Hailey Turner. The sass and humor were spot on and the fight scenes! There’s nothing like the Soulbound fight scenes!

    These are easily some of the most jaw-dropping, high-stakes battles between our heroes and pissed-off gods/goddesses with fabulous displays of magic and no-punches-pulled derring-do. The cameos from the folks we loved and loved to hate since the beginning of the series were cherries on top of this spectacular chaos and mayhem.

    The blurb said this could be read as a standalone but I recommend delving into the Soulbound main series first since many references and characters were mentioned.

    Secondhand Skin is Wade coming into his own. His adventure is filled with excitement, magic, supernatural creatures, and a pack that always has his back. Overall, a rip-roaring addition to the Soulbound universe!

    Rating:
    4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

    Soundtrack: I Am Your Skin
    Artist: The Bravery
    Album: Stir The Blood


    If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Secondhand Skin. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.

    SECONDHAND SKIN: Kindle I Audiobook

    If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!

    Read More
    neverhollowed

    You May Also Like

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Little Match Girl by Dianne Hartsock (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    December 21, 2020

    MUSIC MONDAY: Black Dress by 070 Shake

    October 23, 2023

    RELEASE BLITZ: Pure Country by Kelly Fox

    December 11, 2024
  • Uncategorized

    BLOG TOUR: You Can Save Me by R.L. Merrill (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    August 29, 2024 / No Comments
    Read More
    neverhollowed

    You May Also Like

    RELEASE BLITZ: Irresponsible Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James (Giveaway)

    May 11, 2022

    COVER REVEAL: The Christmas Oaks by V.L. Locey (Giveaway)

    November 5, 2019

    BOOK TOUR: Fusion by Kindle Alexander

    January 1, 2025
  • Uncategorized

    RELEASE TOUR: Last Resort by Morgan Brice (Giveaway)

    March 28, 2024 / No Comments
    Read More
    neverhollowed

    You May Also Like

    RELEASE BLITZ: Socially Orcward by Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    February 15, 2021

    RELEASE BLITZ: Twin Firs by Paul Bright (Excerpt)

    October 19, 2024

    FLICKer: Keel (2004)

    December 29, 2022
  • Uncategorized

    BOOK TOUR: These Bodies Between Us by Sarah Van Name

    March 11, 2024 / No Comments
    Read More
    neverhollowed

    You May Also Like

    RELEASE BLITZ: Warm Hearts by Kristian Parker (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    December 8, 2023

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Blood Omen by Kegan Tyler (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    May 25, 2022

    BLOG TOUR: Honey Mead Murder by Dahlia Donovan (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    October 8, 2023
  • Uncategorized

    AUDIO TOUR: Peacemaker by Morgan Brice (Giveaway)

    March 9, 2024 / No Comments
    Read More
    neverhollowed

    You May Also Like

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Double Six by Brenda Murphy (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    November 19, 2019

    RELEASE BLITZ: Pucking Vamps by Aria Clark & J.F. Miev

    September 13, 2024

    RELEASE BLITZ: A Touch Of Fever by Nazri Noor (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 13, 2021
  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: Peacemaker by Morgan Brice

    March 8, 2024 / 1 Comment

    Sharps and Springfield: Peacemaker – Morgan Brice

    Secret agents, forbidden love, danger, and magic!

    Supernatural Secret Service agents Owen Sharps and Calvin Springfield meet on the train to their new assignment in St. Louis, and sparks fly between them. But it’s 1897, and they need to be very careful—falling in love can be dangerous for men like them.

    It’s their first case together, investigating mysterious disappearances—including the two agents who preceded them. Grim evidence leads them to look for a darker purpose. Old ghosts haunt the railroad line, zombie rise, signs point to ritual sacrifice, and they suspect someone is trying to open the gates of hell.

    Can Calvin and Owen stop the mayhem, thwart the vampires, and find true love, or will everything go up in smoke?

    Peacemaker is a high-stakes steampunk MM romance thrill ride filled with found family, paranormal Pinkertons, intrepid reporters, mysterious disappearances, nefarious land brokers, hellhounds, zombies, vengeful spirits, dark spells, absinthe magic, a ruthless vampire railroad baron and a love that won’t be denied.

    Before Colt and Winchester, there was Sharps & Springfield!

    Peacemaker is the first book in the new Sharps & Springfield series


    Finally, gay Pinkertons!

    I learned about Pinkertons from Whyborne & Griffin, the latter being a former Pinkerton detective. I haven’t encountered many MM stories about these detectives, so I was super excited for Morgan Brice‘s latest steampunk series, Sharps and Springfield.

    Peacemaker is Book 1, and while there are no cosmic apocalyptic threats here, there are plenty of things that go bump in the night. The story opens with SSS Agent Owen Sharps’s anonymous meeting with his soon-to-be partner, Agent Calvin Springfield. The two somewhat hit it off, parted ways, met again, and were surprised to learn about each other’s identities.

    The new partners were tasked to take over a case from two missing agents. It involved a massive railroad construction by sketchy billionaires headed by an even sketchier vampire. Later, there were encounters with hellhounds, zombies, witches and gates of hell.

    As a means to lay the groundwork for future books, this opener built a fascinating world of magical secret agents, supernatural allies, badass non-magical humans, and enigmatic villains. As for the steampunk, it was sadly missing.

    A highlight was the Pullman, a historical equivalent of the trailers rockstars use on tour. This one, though, was incredulous. The way it was described, it has three bedrooms with full-sized beds for people over six feet. There’s a kitchen, a shower, and an honest-to-goodness fully stocked library, armament room, AND research laboratory.

    The exact size wasn’t mention, but the damned thing sounds like it’s bigger than my house. And it’s pulled by horses. HOW?!

    I’m on the fence with the storytelling. On one hand, it was consistently engaging, and I had fun. On the other, the investigation involved many interviews with contacts and witnesses. This is realistic, but then most of the key events were told rather than shown.

    Owen and Calvin danced around each other, trying to suss out each other’s gay vibes, but held back from openly pursuing their mutual interest. They practically just met, and with some homophobic folks publicly stirring trouble, they can never be too careful.

    Majority of the time, they spent it apart, individually pursuing certain leads. So it was a stretch when the two suddenly declared they were in love. I would have preferred that they took at least the second book to actually get to know each other before throwing around ILYs.

    Owen is a medium. It amuses me that he’s fan of Dracula the book. He has a Southern drawl and the charm, too. Calvin is a psychometric. He’s a bit more serious, but he loves comics. He used to run with a gang before being a Pinkerton.

    I like Owen, Calvin, AND Winston, the witch butler and the most important character, because the boys are lost without him. I would also love more appearances by the rest of the cast. There’s a wonderful found family forming here, and I’m all for it.

    Overall, Peacemaker has a great premise, the writing worked well for me, the characters are intriguing, and I loved this paranormal world the author created. I’m still wondering where this series fit in her multi-series universe.

    It might be a mix bag, but if there’s one thing I love about Morgan Brice, it’s that her series gets better and better with each new installment. Witchbane is an excellent example. I can’t wait when Sharps and Springfield finally hit its stride. 

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: Peacemaker
    Artist: Animal Collective
    Album: The Painters


    If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Peacemaker. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.

    PEACEMAKER: Kindle | Audiobook

    If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!

    Read More
    neverhollowed

    You May Also Like

    BLOG TOUR: Shot in the Dark by Riley Long (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    October 15, 2020

    BOOK BLAST: A Beach Far Away by B.L. Maxwell (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    August 10, 2022

    BLOG TOUR: Pickled Petunia by Dahlia Donovan (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    November 23, 2021
  • Uncategorized

    BOOK BLAST: Runway Dreams: Prideful Vengeance by T.K. Ambers (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    February 12, 2024 / No Comments
    Read More
    neverhollowed

    You May Also Like

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Man with Sapphire Eyes by Larry Mellman (Excerpt & Giveaway)4

    May 17, 2023

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Free From Falling by E.L. Massey (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    December 4, 2024

    NEW RELEASE & SERIES TOUR: Pitch & Sickle – The Diabolus Chronicles by D.K. Girl (Excerpt)

    April 29, 2023
  • Uncategorized

    BLOG TOUR: Mann Hunt by Peter E. Fenton (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 12, 2023 / No Comments
    Read More
    neverhollowed

    You May Also Like

    RELEASE BLITZ: Undone by Leslie McAdam (Excerpt)

    August 17, 2021

    SERIES TOUR: Apocrypha of the Knight Shamans series by R. Roderick Rowe (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    April 17, 2025

    BLOG TOUR: Dire Warning by Mary Rundle (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    July 5, 2020
Load More

You can never have too much MM romance or indie music. Welcome and enjoy your stay!

FOLLOW NEVER HOLLOWED BY THE STARE

Follow Never Hollowed By The Stare on WordPress.com

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow Me

May 2025
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Apr    

If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links to get a copy of your favorite MM romance & yaoi manga. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.

As a more ethical alternative, you can also use Bookshop.org to buy paperbacks and MP3 CD audiobooks and help support independent bookstores.

Rakuten Kobo UK
Alibris: Books, Music, & Movies

DISCLAIMER

Book images and promotional materials are from Goodreads or media kits provided for blog tours, cover reveals and release blitzes. Manga covers and other images are sourced through Google image search. The two dorks in the header image is from a manga by TogaQ & Kikuchi Neko. The cat logo is my own design. Reviews and other writings found in the blog are mine unless otherwise stated. All Buy Links to Amazon and Bookshop in my posts contain affiliate links.

Support This Site

If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!

Never Hollowed By The Stare Follow

🌈boy's love manga | MM romance | music | giveaways and more 🐾

neverhollowed
neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
15 May

FLICKer: Orange Cheesecake #shortfilm

Joe is invited for dinner but throughout the night tensions rise as his dad’s true intentions are revealed…

Reply on Twitter 1923084163512430862 Retweet on Twitter 1923084163512430862 Like on Twitter 1923084163512430862 Twitter 1923084163512430862
neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
15 May

COVER REVEAL: Wicked Games by Willow Dixon (Excerpt & #Giveaway)



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/05/15/cover-reveal-wicked-games-by-willow-dixon-excerpt-giveaway/

Reply on Twitter 1923083811316756815 Retweet on Twitter 1923083811316756815 Like on Twitter 1923083811316756815 1 Twitter 1923083811316756815
neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
15 May

RELEASE BLITZ: Imry, Avory and Ellory by Crea Reitan



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/05/15/release-blitz-imry-avory-and-ellory-by-crea-reitan/

Reply on Twitter 1923083384839917781 Retweet on Twitter 1923083384839917781 Like on Twitter 1923083384839917781 1 Twitter 1923083384839917781
neverhollowed Never Hollowed By The Stare @neverhollowed ·
15 May

Neither Richard nor Lucas want a relationship despite their attraction, but destiny already has them in her sights.

NEW RELEASE: Charmed by Destiny by Jessamyn Kingley (Excerpt)



https://neverhollowed.com/2025/05/15/new-release-charmed-by-destiny-by-jessamyn-kingley-excerpt/

Reply on Twitter 1923082955838152838 Retweet on Twitter 1923082955838152838 Like on Twitter 1923082955838152838 1 Twitter 1923082955838152838
Load More
Rakuten Kobo UK
SEARCH NOW:
by title
by author
2025©Never Hollowed By The Stare