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REVIEW: Ruthless by L. Eveland
The Ferrymen: Ruthless – L. Eveland
Falling for my target was never part of the plan. Neither was killing my mentor.
LUKA
I was created to be the perfect weapon with forty-eight confirmed eliminations and counting. I’m the best in the business.But my newest target is threatening to destroy everything. Who puts a hit out on a therapist? His biggest crime is talking to his plants every morning.
Now, instead of taking the shot, I’ve broken my contract to protect him and every Ferryman in North America is out to claim the bounty on my head.
We’ve got one chance at survival, and it means facing the man who spent twenty-six years molding me into his perfect weapon. Prometheus might have named himself after a god, but I know he’s just a man. And all men can die.
VINCENT
I knew I was in trouble when he showed up on my doorstep covered in blood and demanded I come with him.Now, hiding in an underground world built for professional killers, he’s my only chance of survival.
Luka is dangerous, damaged, and devastatingly attractive. I should run. Instead, I can’t help but try to heal the man beneath the scars.
As assassins hunt us without reprieve, I’m learning just how far I’ll go to protect the broken man I never should have survived, let alone fallen for.
I believe monsters are made, not born. Maybe they can be unmade by love.
RUTHLESS is the first book in The Ferryman series, a dark MM romance series about a secret society of assassins and the men who fall for them.
Ruthless is the first book in The Ferrymen, an assassin romance series by L. Eveland. Each installment follows a different Ferryman on a mission that unexpectedly leads them to love.
Luca, tasked with killing trauma therapist Vincent, becomes increasingly fascinated instead, spending three weeks secretly observing him. When his boss Prometheus loses patience and assigns the job to someone else, Luca is forced to act. He kills the rival assassin and abducts Vincent for protection, as the hit on him is now open to all.
Vincent, stunned to discover his gorgeous new patient is a killer, is thrust into a hidden world of assassins governed by strict laws, hierarchies, and Greek‑mythology‑inspired customs. Together, he and Luca seek sanctuary at the Acropolis, neutral ground where no blood may be spilled, while unraveling why Prometheus is determined to destroy an ordinary therapist.
The chemistry between assassin and healer is explosive, but intimacy terrifies Luca, deeming himself too broken. Haunted by a twin sister he couldn’t save and years of abuse under Prometheus, he battles 26 years of conditioning. With Vincent’s unwavering care, Luca begins to reclaim his humanity, and perhaps even envision a future with the doctor.
I love the Ferrymen world! With nods to John Wick, assassins were paid in special coins, neutral zones were sacrosant, tribunals and judges deal with those who broke contracts. Prometheus, director of the North American region, is an extremely manipulative bastard whose long‑game schemes drive the conflict.
Plucked from war‑torn Serbia and groomed to obey, Luca’s fraught relationship with his mentor adds turmoil and darkness. While I expected a full circle moment for Luca, I was still shocked when Prometheus dropped his bomb.
Luca is both lethal and vulnerable, cocky enough to call himself a sex god, yet desperate for emotional validation. Right from the opening scene, his obsession with Vincent is deliciously thrilling, their dynamic a balance of power and healing.
Vincent helps connect Luca to the boy he once was. He’s a natural carer, whether it’s plants or his patients and his loyalty and devotion to Luca was a ray of sunshine in the murk. His fierce defense of the assassin in front of the tribunal and his graceful acceptance of his place in this shadowy world made me appreciate the good doc even more.
The writing tends to be repetitive, with multiple mentions of 26 years and sexual abuse, as well as memories retold several times, making the book unnecessarily long. Content warning: grooming, sexual abuse, physical abuse, PTSD, trauma, and violence.
Ruthless is a story of reclaiming humanity and forging healthy connections. Fierce, angsty and moving, overall, a testament to the power of empathy in this cutthroat world.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Kintsugi
Artist: The Bottomless
Album: Kintsugi
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RUTHLESS: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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REVIEW: Sins of the Father by Isabel Lucero
Sins of the Father – Isabel Lucero
He comes to me through a lattice in a confessional booth in my church.
He’s brash, vulgar, and confessing to things that would send him to hell, and yet, I find myself intrigued by the mysterious man.
His sinful words thrill me. His way of life, so different from my own, has me coveting excitement that’s long been missing. The more I’m around him, the more I realize how long I’ve been deprived of so much, and the more my own deviance begins to emerge.
On paper, nothing about the two of us makes sense, and there are many reasons why I should keep my distance. I try to be pious, but if anyone were to find the skeletons in my closet, I’d be excommunicated from the church.
When something from my past reveals itself, I find myself being pulled into a way of life I didn’t think would be in my future, and now I straddle the line between right and wrong. Morality vs necessity.
I’m a priest. He’s a murderer. But we’re both sinners.
Sins of the Father is a standalone novel by Isabel Lucero about a forbidden romance between a priest and a hitman.
Father Carlo’s world shifts when a mysterious man delivers a cheeky non‑confession that awakens desires he’s long suppressed. The man, Javier, returns with provocative questions, eventually meeting Carlo face‑to‑face. His shameless flirting leads Carlo to discover a hidden taste for kink, turning a self-flogging session into eroticism
Their affair is tested when Carlo’s estranged father summons him back to inherit a legacy he resists. With threats to Carlo’s life and unaware of their connection, Carlo’s father hires Javier as his bodyguard. Determined to protect his priest, Javier finds himself caught between loyalty and love.
From their first faceless encounter in the confessional to the explosive finale, Javi and Carlo’s chemistry is electric. Carlo folds rather quickly, understandable, given his resolved is not iron-clad, having been forced into priesthood by a father who rejected his sexuality.
While Carlo struggled, we are spare much of the woes about faith and sexuality by having our priest go on a sabbatical and thus free to sow his oats with clear conscience. Javi, delighted to have a bonafide priest, had plenty of fun with the priestly vestments. Despite it being kinky, their connection is also surprisingly tender, genuine and deep.
Javi, a Latino hitman who hires his services to the mafia, shares a close bond with Carlo’s father, whom he’s also tasked to protect though has no idea of their familial ties. While some twists are predictable, the revelation of Carlo’s identity still lands with impact, especially told through Carlo’s perspective, where we only glimpse Javi’s reactions.
The mafia subplot is as compelling as the romance, as we witness Carlo’s transformation from reluctant priest to newly appointed heir amid gunfire and betrayal. Their father and son reconciliation is bittersweet, adding weight to the story’s emotional core.
Though Carlo trades one shackle for another, he ultimately embraces his legacy and really came to his own here with a violent yet liberating resolution, in a move worthy of Michael Corleone.
Sins of the Father is a story of fallen apples that are ripe for the taking. Dark, sensual, and irreverent, overall, it’s proves that forbidden fruits are worth the fall!
Rating
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Sin
Artist: Nyline
Album:
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REVIEW: Unholy by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine
Park Avenue Kings: Unholy – Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine
He hears my confessions.
Now he can’t unhear them.I keep showing up to church.
I don’t speak. I don’t confess. I just sit there—close enough to remember what it felt like to be his.Father Rafael Vitale thinks he can keep this professional.
Measured. Contained. Holy.I’m none of those things.
I’m Alessio Trentacapelli—the technocrat of the Park Avenue Kings. I live in shadows, break systems, and protect my brothers at any cost. I still believe in God. I just don’t forgive Him for demanding the man I love.
Rafael is discipline and devotion.
I’m want and resentment and everything he was never supposed to crave.We were boys together. Then lovers.
Then nothing we were allowed to keep.Now we’re orbiting each other again behind a confessional screen—through silence, ritual, and everything we refuse to say out loud. Every look lingers. Every boundary bends. And every time he tells me no, it hurts worse than the last.
Because the priest with the steady hands and the quiet voice?
He remembers me.And then we cross a line we both know by heart.
If he makes me choose between losing him again…
or giving in to something we can’t take back—I already know which sin I’ll commit.
Unholy is the finale of the riveting billionaire romance series, Park Avenue Kings by Ella Frank and Brook Blaine. The series follows the key members of the secret society, Libertine, known as the Kings. With the bad guys already vanquished in the last installment, the focus here is the romance.
Our final King is Alessio Trentacapelli, the billionaire hacker not-so-secretly in love with his childhood friend, Father Rafael Vitale, the Kings’ confessor. Picking up from the events of the previous book, Ruthless, Alessio is haunted by his failure to find the bad guys and his guilt only intensified his pining for Father Vitale.
Until one night he appears on the confessional drunk, baring his soul so raw it shakes our good priest to his core. And set them on a forbidden path of no return.
With all his brooding in the entire series, especially over a man he can’t have, I expected this to be angsty and boy, did it bleed angst. With his brothers happily coupled up, our boy Alessio is bitter that he can’t have his HEA. The amount of pining made my heart ache, especially with Rafael so close yet so far and Alessio can only watch him on his camera and window while he secretly lives across the street from the church.
I expected the drunken confession, yet the scene is still a devastating hit to the kokoro. I recommend audiobooking this for maximum impact.
Rafael and Alessio were boyfriends when they were teenagers. Their paths diverged when Rafael’s parents died and in his grief he turned to religion. Alessio remained loyal for 15 years. It’s ridiculously romantic how they were each other’s first and only. Their chemistry is absolutely nuclear!
I loved how the writers handled the religious theme. Despite his conflicting feelings, Rafael’s struggle is almost gentle rather than tortured. It took him a while though. Ultimately, faith was not condemned but rather reconciled with love and never preachy. The resolution affirms all forms of love, culminating in an uplifting epilogue where the Kings and their families celebrate together.
On a super minor note, it seems every other Italian character’s last name is Vitale, Morelli, or Moretti. I’m happy Alessio’s last name is Trentacapelli. Also, we barely see the rest of the Kings, I wanted more interaction with them.
Unholy is a story of forbidden love and enduring devotion where faith and sexuality coexist. Overall, a beautiful conclusion to an epic series that affirms what is truly hallowed: the courage to choose love, no matter the odds.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Unholy
Artist: Lilith Czar
Album: Created From Filth And DustP.S.
Park Avenue Kings is best read in order and easily one of the most bingeable series out there now that it’s complete.
Savage – Lachlan and Cooper making masks and disasters work
Devilish – Lucien and Kai finding the ideal dynamic among books and constellations
Immoral – Benoit and Dmitri doing a dance of danger and seduction
Merciless & Ruthless – Theo and Shep navigating friendship, desire, and abduction
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REVIEW: Suck by E.M. Lindsey & Cora Rose
Feed and Feast: Suck – E.M. Lindsey & Cora Rose
When portals from another world split open the sky, humanity braces for war… only to discover the monsters from Erethar aren’t here to conquer. They need something from humans. Something oddly specific in order to survive.
And that’s when the government begins recruiting for a ritual that sounds a lot like a cross-dimensional booty call.
Normally an exclusivity contract with a monster called Rathyn of the Dark Vale would be a hard pass, but the more time I spend with him, the more I realize there’s more to this whole monster/human thing than what the government is telling us.
I want to believe it’s nothing more than an arrangement, but the way he melts under my touch, and the way he’s constantly seeking more, makes me believe that maybe his fate is wrapped up in my own.
It’s no longer about what I can do for him.
It’s about what we mean to each other.I’m Everest Hale, and I’m doing my part to save the world with my… Well, I’m not at liberty to discuss, but let’s just say it’s given with vigorous enthusiasm.
You’re welcome, Earth.
Suck is the first book in the MM Monster Romance series Feed and Feast. It contains a clueless human who’s just looking to do his duty for humanity, a naïve monster who has no idea how much humanity will change him, so much sucking, swooning, antagonists to lovers, cuddling as a love language, body piercings, secret romance, and a toe-curling happily ever after.
Suck is the first book in the titillating monster romance series Feed and Feast by E.M. Lindsey and Cora Rose. It follows the evolving relationship between Vyastil army commander Rathyn of the Dark Vale and his human companion, Everest Hale.
The Vyastil arrived on Earth from Erethrar through a portal, negotiating with the government to recruit human males as donors, their seed consumed by the monsters. When Everest’s turn came, he couldn’t resist sassing the Vyastil who drank his donation. To his surprise, the same Vyastil requested him the next day, and the next, demanding more.
Rathyn found Everest’s fluids irresistible and insisted on making him his contracted companion. With the contract signed and his semen handsomely paid for, Everest moved in with Rathyn, who proved far less monstrous than humans believed.
There is a lot of sucking involved as the Vyastil like to drink from the source. With such a hentai premise, you’d think this would be straight up erotica. This is kinky business for sure but there’s also an air of innocence as the Vyastil are essentially non-sexual creatures. There are only select few who were chosen for breeding and the rest, like Rathyn pretty much go about life asexual.
Trust the humans to make it all about sex. The Vyastil are so good at blowjobs, there’s a queue of addicted donors waiting for their fix. Why the Vyastil needed semen is a mystery but the demand is high that there are even factories producing prepackaged cum.
While they prefer their human companions to be submissive, Everest surprised the Vyastil with his outspokeness, never hesitating to lay down bounderies or negotiate. Rathyn enjoys this side of Everest, completely charmed by his sassy attitude. Everest taught him the pleasures of touch, awakening his long dormant sexual desires, transforming their bond from contractual to romantic.
I loved the play of erotic and sweet. The book give off cozy boyfriends vibes mixed with BDSM elements. Rathyn is growly and possessive, adores his human, and cute when he’s needy. Everest has to wear nipple piercings, leashes, and cock adornments when visiting Erethar, non-sexual status symbols for the Vyastil.
Their deepening bond must remain secret, as attachment to humans is taboo. This conflict exposes darker Vyastil-human politics, leading to a compromised resolution and an unsatisfying HFN ending that hints at revolution. The world-building isn’t fully fleshed out, but it lays intriguing groundwork for the series. It’s a fascinating world and I couldn’t wait to explore more.
Also, Cielo! Everest’s Vyastil bodyguard stole the show with his sweet, protective marshmallow heart. I can’t wait for his and Dante’s story. It’s coming up next.
Suck is a story of consumption and connection, where monsters and humans challenge opposing views and discover mutual desires. Overall, a cheeky release with just the right balance of heat and heart.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Black Milk
Artist: Massive Attack
Album: Mezzanine
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SERIES REVIEW: Signs and Wonders & Cursed (Witchbane Books 7 & 8) by Morgan Brice
Witchbane: Signs and Wonders – Morgan Brice
When a coven of dark warlocks killed Seth Tanner’s brother, Seth became a man driven by vengeance, sworn to stop the cycle of ritual killings, willing to die for the cause. He never expected to fall head over heels in love with the witches’ next intended victim. Evan Malone didn’t believe the supernatural was real until Seth swept in with his magic and motorcycle to save him from being the next sacrifice.
Now they’ve gone on the road together, hunting the rest of the coven while they figure out how to keep the white-hot, once-in-a-lifetime bond between them. Days are filled tracking their paranormal quarry, honing their monster hunting skills, and gaining control of the small magics that have made a life-or-death difference. Nights are spent together, entangled in adrenaline-fueled passion, learning how to make this love last forever despite the odds. Seth fears that if they don’t eliminate the rest of the coven, they’ll be on the run forever, and more people will die. Evan is afraid that Seth’s obsession with revenge means they might not survive to get a happily ever after.
Seth and Evan head to West Virginia to confront one of the dark warlocks, a master con man running a cybercrime empire. Can Seth and Evan save the warlock’s next target, bring down his crime syndicate, and live to tell the tale?
Signs and Wonders is a thrill-packed supernatural thrill ride with plenty of paranormal suspense, hurt/comfort, hot nights, found family, deadly magic, immortal witches, determined hunters, haunted places, creepy ghosts, impressive explosions, spooky chills, and sexy thrills, and features an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Vigil
Artist: The Mars Volta
Album: The Mars Volta
Witchbane: Cursed – Morgan Brice
Seth Tanner and Evan Malone head to Savannah, Georgia, to hunt the seventh of the coven members responsible for the death of Seth’s brother and so many other victims over the past hundred years.
Seth and Evan fell in love when Seth rescued Evan from one of the dark witches, and they went on the road together to stop the murders. Their relationship is new and intense, growing deeper with the danger, giving them both a reason to survive and gain vengeance.
Sterling Vernon is a prominent restaurateur with a thriving array of businesses, and he’s also the seventh witch-disciple with a new victim in his sights. His reputation and wealth protect him, and his dark magic enables him to evade consequences. Vernon needs to work his ritual to replenish his power soon, and that requires a new sacrifice.
Paxton Miller is Vernon’s next intended victim. When Vernon puts a killing curse on Evan to force a confrontation with Seth, it’s going to take all of Seth’s courage and cleverness, as well as help from their friends with supernatural abilities, to save Evan and Paxton and stop Vernon once and for all.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: The Curse of the Fold
Artist: Shawn James
Album: The Dark & The Light
Witchbane by Morgan Brice has become my comfort read, and by now it’s easy to see how the series has evolve while still delivering everything we love about Seth and Evan’s scenic paranormal quest.
Signs and Wonders, the 7th book and possibly the shortest installment so far, takes our boys to West Virginia’s National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ), where radio transmissions are heavily restricted due to scientific and military reasons. What started as a mission for two now involves a network of friends across states, with delightful cameos from the author’s other series.
This time, the witch they’re hunting runs a wellness retreat inside the zone and taking him down is tricky as magic and technology don’t mesh well. Seth and their hacker allies target the witches’ cybercrime empire while Evan infiltrates the wellness orientation seminars.
While the plot is straightforward, the writing is fast-paced and there’s plenty of tactics and action to keep things exciting. I loved going over the how-tos of the mission and Seth and Evan collaborating with the secondary characters made it even more dynamic.
There’s also a change in internal dialogue, Seth and Evan think less of revenge and more about life after the mission. Despite lingering fears, they remain rock solid, comfortable and settled yet always passionate. I enjoyed their cozy boyfriends dynamics and how they’re still as endearing as ever.
Cursed, the 8th book, took our boys to the food havens of Savannah, Georgia which seriously made me hungry. The witch is a prominent restaurateur mentoring his next victim, a food truck owner. This is another tricky setup because how would Seth and Evan convince him of the danger? Also, Evan was hit by a curse which left him in the sidelines.
Like in the previous book, our boys had help from friends and the local good witches. The culinary angle has a gruesome aspect with monster meat being sneaked in. The victim’s boyfriend is a musician and I loved the neat musical spell he and Evan used in the end to power up the good guys.
There’s a change in Seth and Evan’s hectic pace, our boys finished dealing with the bad guys early and took some downtime. They went on a proper date, sight seeing around Savannah and enjoying the food. There’s more talk about dreams of a life after the mission and while I’m rooting hard for a happy ending for our boys, I couldn’t help but feel a pang that the series might be ending soon.
Witchbane is my tour guide across America, taking us to real life weird and wonderful places. I hope the author could give us a map of Seth and Evan’s roadtrip because if ever I could afford a trip to the US, I want to trace their journey.
Overall, I’m happily tagging along till the end!
P.S.
Witchbane should be read in order. Follow the map below:
Burn
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SIGNS AND WONDERS: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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REVIEW: Alliance by Cari Z
The Triad: Alliance – Cari Z.
One wedding. Two grooms. Three lovers, preparing to fight for themselves, and their kingdoms.
Symon Parador is a prince in name only until the day he’s bartered away to the neighboring kingdom, to marry their queen’s brother, Petur. A mage in a nation full of shifters who distrust his magic is bad enough, but even worse is the fact that Petur is already as good as married—to an assassin from the north named Deyvid, who’s immune to all magic.
He doesn’t expect to love either of them, but Deyvid’s surprising kindness is too addictive to run from, and even Petur’s ferocity is lightened by his sly sense of humor. Sy could see himself falling for them…if any of them survive the sudden onslaught of attacks against the royal family.
Entwined in a dangerous game of survival, love, and loyalty, the cost of saving his lovers may be Sy’s own life.
Alliance is a polyamorous M/M/M fantasy with enemies to lovers, graphic violence, snarky humor, and explicit sexual content.
Alliance is the series opener of the polyamorous fantasy series, The Triad by Cari Z. It’s been a while since I read MMM romance so I grabbed this book immediately.
Prince Symon, one of the realm’s most powerful mages, is suddenly arranged to wed Prince Petur, a shifter from a neighboring kingdom. Everyone knows Petur already has a long-time lover, Deyvid, a magically immune assassin who doubles as his bodyguard.
Wedding day arrives and Symon and Petur already got off on the wrong foot. Alone in a foreign court, Sy finds unexpected friendship with Deyvid, who is determined to keep the marriage intact even as the royals become a target of an assassination plot.
Symon isn’t just a mage, he’s also a skilled herbalist from humble roots. His late mother was an herbalist, his father a city guard who married the queen. While only 22 years old. he entered his marriage with open eyes, but Petur almost dumping him on their wedding night was still a cruel blow. His easy companionship with Deyvid stands in sharp contrast to his antagonistic dynamic with Petur.
Deyvid, a 40-something high harrier from the Northern land of people immune to magic, is the sensible one in the relationship. Bleached of color, his skin is grey, his eyes silver and his hair salt and pepper. It was pretty obvious that he and Petur have a deep connection and their affection for each other leap off the page. His growing fondness for Sy was palpable from their first meeting.
Petur is a 37-year old shifter who can shift to four forms, a rare ability. I think every reader is frustrated with how he treated Sy, but he later came around. I was glad when the three men finally cemented their alliance, it’s just that Petur’s turn-around was too abrupt.
The story is from the POVs of the three man. The plot is mostly romance with an assassination subplot which was sadly not well-developed. There was palace intrigue that felt surface level. Even the world-building, which would have been fascinating, didn’t feel exciting which is the main issue with the book.
This has all the right ingredients for an epic fantasy series but sadly the execution was dull. I was audiobooking this and even the great Michael Ferraiuolo couldn’t keep my attention from wandering. I wanted so much to like this book more.
Alliance is a story of magic, marriage, and murder. Overall, the delivery was lack-luster yet the premise intrigued me enough to continue with Book 2.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: Allies
Artist: Stranded Mermaid
Album: Allies
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REVIEW: How to Fake It in Society by K.J. Charles
How to Fake It in Society – K.J. Charles
It is 1821 and Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte is making a splash in London Society. The son of Jeanne de Valois de La Motte, infamous for stealing a priceless diamond necklace meant for Marie Antoinette, Nico hopes to restore his wronged mother’s reputation, if only he can raise the funds. But he must operate with great secrecy, because the Bourbon dynasty murdered his mother, and he fears for his life.
At least, that’s what he tells Titus Pilcrow. Titus was a simple shopkeeper, making and selling artists’ paints, when he found himself suddenly married to an immensely wealthy woman who wanted to disinherit her nephew on her deathbed. As word spreads of his fortune, Titus finds himself a target of every scammer and beggar in London . . . including one Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte.
Nico is on his last legs, out of money, and on the run from some terrifying gangsters. When Titus offers Nico a space in his household, it’s the perfect chance for him to exploit London’s newest golden purse – until he falls in love with the man he needs to cheat. Still, Nico is sure they can have a happy ending together. If he can just find his way out of his own web of lies . . .
How To Fake It In Society is another brilliant historical romance from my all-time favorite MM author, K.J. Charles.
Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte, befriends Titus Pilcrow, a newly rich colourman who inherited his fortune in the most unusual way, through a deathbed marriage to a wealthy old woman, with strict instructions not to share the money with her greedy relatives.
Unsure how to navigate high society, Titus turns to Nico, who sees him as a ticket out of his own debts. But instead of fleecing his mark, Nico finds himself falling in love.
I loved Titus! He’s kind-hearted, generous, awkward, and naive about aristocratic life yet sharp, resourceful, and passionately devoted to his craft. Bullies try to dim his light, but with Nico’s support he learns to live on his own terms.
He started his friendship with Nico with open eyes, aware that the comte might just be after his money. Knowing that, he still invited him to live in his house. Their friendship is my favorite part of the story. Titus and Nico enjoyed each other’s company and that joy leapt off the page!
One of the most charming touches is Titus entertaining the comte with trivia about colors, such as a certain shade of green is made of arsenic or a yellow named after a queen’s unwashed clothes. It made him want to burn his green jacket, still Nico was utterly smittened. Couldn’t blame him, Titus’s enthusiasm is contagious.
These details, along with K.J. Charles’s immersive historical texture, make the novel sparkle. I especially love that her romances spotlight not just dukes but working-class characters with fascinating period-specific jobs, here a paint maker, other books a pornographer (Unfit to Print), taxidermist (An Unseen Attraction), a handwriting analysis expert (Copper Script), even a waste man (Rag and Bone).
Though Nico intended to exploit Titus, he ends up giving him everything he needs, confidence, colorful clothes, and unwavering support. His delight in making Titus happy is balm to the soul. Their romance is ridiculously endearing, and the cover perfectly captures their sweet hand-holding moments. And they really love holding hands!
The supporting cast was equally wonderful. Mr. Thorpe the loyal butler, Mrs . Thorpe the housekeeper and their daughter Alma the maid make a cozy found family for Titus who’s estranged from his brothers. Eve a.k.a. Poirot the valet is Nico’s cousin and a dashing lover for Alma.
The big reveal hit Titus and Nico hard. The author deftly unraveled the secrets and emotional fallout, throwing in some menacing bad guys who were caricatures, and the most hilarious villain takedown scene to give us a spectacular resolution worthy of Marie Antoinette!
How To Fake It In Society is a story about bringing out the best in people by seeing the good in them. Overall, wrong thoughts, right words, right actions and a romance that’s pure joy!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Give You The World
Artist: Yello feat. Malia
Album: Toy
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REVIEW: Vigilant by Cora Rose & Lark Taylor
The Firm: Vigilant – Cora Rose & Lark Taylor
As the eldest brother and leader of The Firm, I take my responsibilities very seriously. There’s nothing I won’t do to keep my family safe. Staying vigilant, always thinking ten steps ahead, and holding the pieces of my life together with steady hands. Control is everything, because if I loosen my grip for even a moment, the darkness I’ve buried inside will claw its way free.
Everything is stable. Predictable. Safe.
Until Neo.
He’s a distraction I can’t afford but a temptation I can’t seem to ignore. My darkness is drawn to him; it wants to be set free.
And as our enemies close in, Neo becomes the one variable I can’t control… and the one risk I find myself wanting to take. Because for the first time, surrendering to the dark doesn’t feel like weakness.It feels a lot like love.
Vigilant is the third book of the dark billionaire romance series, The Firm by Cora Rose and Lark Taylor. This is my most anticipated installment, starring my favorite Buckingham brother, Wylder.
The Buckinghams were molded into killers by their ruthless father. As the eldest, Wylder endured the worst abuses while shielding his younger brothers. Now leader of The Firm, he shoulders every responsibility, holding the family together with iron control.
He didn’t count upon a bratty, blue-haired hacker to test that control. Neo is the bestfriend of Ancel (Deviant) and they are both living in the Buckingham mansion because of the threat from Umbra.
Neo lived to annoy Wylder, pranking, pushing and sassing him just to see how far he could. Wylder’s PA was on leave and he declares Neo take the position seeing the hacker was already neck-deep in Buckingham business. Neo lost no time upping his game and this time, Wylder’s walls are starting to crack.
Wylder totally made the book for me! He’s not a grump with a soft center. He’s a grump with a monster inside, and when it’s unleashed, it’s glorious! My favorite part about Wylder is that beneath the scowl, he’s a secret do-gooder: funding scholarships, protecting his family, and quietly helping those in need without expecting recognition.
Also, the megane moe slays!!!
Neo nearly ruined the book for me. More bully than brat, he was too pushy, too desperate for attention, his pranks felt more infuriating than humorous. He harrassed and manipulated Wylder for fun, just to see him fall apart. Then he sulks whenever Wylder pushes back.
And everyone would be on Wylder’s ass because he hurt Neo’s feelings. I hated how everyone made it appear that it’s Wylder’s fault and he had to do the groveling every time when really, it was Neo who started it.
Another thing that annoyed me to no end was how Neo would be all concerned about how exhausted Wylder looks and how he had too much responsibilties. Then proceeds to disrupt his sleep every night and pull pranks that added to Wylder’s burdens. He was even glad he made Wylder lose sleep because it means he’s getting under his skin.
One time, his fucked up prank even caused Wylder to pay millions of dollars for a settlement. Neo promised to repay him in blowjobs. Meh. His sob story of being a foster kid didn’t make up for his poor behavior.
My heart went out to Wylder at that scene when everything was too much, he crawled into his secret hidey-hole closet and just be. Seriously, the man needs peace, quiet and uninterrupted sleep more than he needs a blowjob. He’s really trying, damn it, even if emotions are something he struggles to understands.
Neo became somewhat tolerable when he got what he wanted, a.k.a. Wylder’s monster a.k.a. primal play in the woods. Still, not the guy for Wylder. I’d even go for Brennan, their head of security. At least, he always got Wylder’s back.
The rest of the Umbra mission was crammed in the last parts. I missed seeing the Buckinghams in action and I wished the plot was more mission-focused.
Vigilant is a story of control versus chaos. Despite being saddled with the totally wrong guy, Wylder endeared himself and charmed me to no end. I rooted so hard for him every step. Overall, it lies somewhere between like and love but Wylder completely made it worth the ride!
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Wild Child
Artist: The Black Keys
Album: Dropout BoogieP.S.
The Firm is best read in order.
Watch a Buckingham arranged his marriage to his enemy in Covenant.
Witness a Buckingham happily guide his own kidnapper in the how-tos of abduction in Deviant.
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VIGILANT: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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REVIEW: Stolen Magic by Ava Marie Salinger
The Mage and His Brute: Stolen Magic – Ava Marie Salinger
Magic defines who they are. But what happens when that power can be stolen?
In a Victorian London where magical privilege divides society, Duke Evander Ravenwood and Viggo Stonewall have forged more than just an alliance—they’ve fallen in love. But their happiness is short-lived when a new threat emerges from the shadows of London’s magical society.
A renowned professor from the Royal Institute for the Arcane has vanished, leaving behind whispers of forbidden magic and mysterious experiments. As Evander begins to investigate, complications arise with the arrival of his enigmatic former lover from Paris. An expert called in to help, Leon Beaulieu brings old emotions and new secrets to light and soon becomes a source of jealousy for Viggo.
Meanwhile, troubling rumours reach the Nightshade network: thralls linked to noble families are disappearing across London. Determined to track down the perpetrator, Viggo and his friends are drawn into a perilous hunt for an elusive adversary working from the shadows.
Realising their cases are intertwined, Evander and Viggo join forces to unravel the mysteries behind the professor’s disappearance and the missing thralls. But their search soon plunges them into a web of conspiracies rooted in decades-old betrayals and ambition—where nothing, and no one, is quite as it seems.
As allies become adversaries and the true mastermind closes in, Evander and Viggo will need their wits—and their trust in each other—if they’re to survive the darkness gathering around them.
Stolen Magic is a spellbinding tale of magic, mystery, and romance that will captivate readers from the first page to the last. Perfect for fans of historical fantasy and LGBT romance, this second instalment in The Mage and His Brute series promises an unforgettable journey through a London where love and magic intertwine in the most unexpected ways.
Stolen Magic is the second book of the historical fantasy series The Mage and His Brute by Ava Marie Salinger. It picks up where Arcane Entanglement left off, with dark mages exploiting magicless thralls for nefarious reasons.
Scotland Yard’s Special Arcane Investigator Duke Evander Ravenwood and his team are tasked with finding missing professors from the Royal Institute for the Arcane. Meanwhile, his lover Viggo Stonewall and Nightshade investigate the disappearance of thralls, only to discover the two cases are connected.
I’m glad the main case isn’t a murder mystery, which is a nice change from the usual police procedural. Viggo and Evander initially pursue separate leads until the overlap becomes clear.
Just to spice things up, Evander’s ex and fellow Special Arcane Investigator, Comte Leon Beaulieu, enters the scene to assist, as one of the missing professors was from France. This got Viggo’s hackles up.
Viggo and Evander were refreshingly drama-free despite Leon’s efforts to rekindle old flames. Amid frantic investigations, it’s super sweet how they always make time to be together at the end of their busy day. They’re total relationship goals!
The only sour note is Jasper, Evander’s manservant, who is creepily invested in his master’s sex life. His salacious comments quickly turned from gag to grating
The atrocities done to the downtrodden thralls were even more horrific in this installment. They were used as experimental human conduits to transfer magic, which led to agonizing deaths.
While the villains and twists are somewhat predictable and the fight scenes less intense than in book one, the case itself is compelling. And Evander unleashing his archmage powers to their fullest was glorious!
The unexpected teamwork between Viggo and Leon was a fun bonus. They might actually become friends if they keep this up.
Stolen Magic continues the fight for justice against overprivileged mages. Though lighter on surprises and action, overall, it still delivers heart, thrills, and magic.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Conduit
Artist: The Spill Canvas
Album: ConduitP.S.
The Mage and His Brute is best read in order.
Watch a kungfu-fighting archmage and a trainstopping brute get twisted up in each other in Arcane Entanglement
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STOLEN MAGIC: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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REVIEW: Washed Up Former Child Star Ryan Lee by Lisa Henry & J.A. Rock
Washed Up Former Child Star Ryan Lee – Lisa Henry & J.A. Rock
Ryan Lee is a hot mess.
In another lifetime, Ryan had it all. He was a child star in one of the biggest sitcoms on the planet. Now he’s an adult, unemployed, and a poster child for bad decisions. Okay, so he hasn’t robbed a convenience store yet, but only because he’s always either too high or too hungover. When the opportunity to film a reunion show comes up, Ryan jumps at the chance. He needs the money, but more than that, it might be what he needs to drag his career—and himself—out of the gutter.
Except seeing his former onscreen family again means seeing Chase Ellis–the guy who destroyed Ryan’s career by leaving the show, and the first boy Ryan ever kissed. Back when Ryan believed in fairytales, he thought he was in love with Chase, and the reunion brings all those old feelings racing back. But it drags up old secrets too. Ryan’s about to learn that, when it comes to Hollywood, the only happy endings are the ones that take place on screen.
Then again, maybe it isn’t a happy ending Ryan needs. Maybe it’s a new beginning.
Washed Up Former Child Star Ryan Lee is a standalone contemporary m/m second chance romance.
If anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s Washed-Up Former Child Star Ryan Lee. Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock’s contemporary romance is a raw, difficult read, confronting addiction, abusive relationships, and sexual assault. Yet it’s also a compelling story of second chances and recovery.
Ryan Lee, once the star of a hit family sitcom, fell spectacularly from grace. In and out of rehab, he spiraled into rock bottom, relying on his drug-dealing pimp of a boyfriend and trading sex for a fix.
A decade later, Ryan still clings to the hope of a comeback when he’s invited to his former co-star Marissa’s wedding and a reunion show. Bracing himself to face his old sitcom family, he’s blindsided by the reappearance of Chase Ellis, his first love and the man who ruined his life when Chase abruptly left the show. Cue the ugly cry.
This is best consumed in audiobook form. It’s narrated by Gary Furlong who captures Ryan’s despair, biting humor, and spunk with perfect balance. Told in Ryan’s first-person POV, the narrative is laced with his imagined ticker-tape headlines on moments of his life: “WASHED-UP FORMER CHILD STAR RYAN LEE SEEN ENTERING TREATMENT FACILITY.”
The book might be triggering for some. It doesn’t shy away from the bleakness of addiction. A huge chunk covers Ryan’s s depressing situation as an addict, along with his best friend, roommate, and fellow addict, Kristen. Those parts were tough to go through; the desperation and the hopelessness were gut-wrenching.
Ryan’s self-awareness and sardonic humor keep the story from being completely grim. He’s a self-confessed asshole, but he slowly won me over. What I admire most is his refusal to surrender. There’s always fight in him, no matter how low he sinks. And he may have hit rock bottom, but he’s no pushover, he’ll punch someone in the groin if they try to break him.
That miniscule bud of hope blooms when Ryan reunites with Chase. Their romance, though secondary, is tender, wholesome, and full of laughter. Ryan’s lightness when he’s with Chase is palpable, he likes himself best in Chase’s presence, and that joy is contagious. It’s a pure balm to the soul!
Equally poignant is Ryan’s relationship with his estranged agent, Derek. More father than his own parents ever were, Derek distanced himself to avoid enabling Ryan’s addiction. Their reconciliation delivers the most heartwarming headline of all: “WASHED-UP FORMER CHILD STAR RYAN LEE IS HOME.”
Overall, Washed Up Former Child Star Ryan Lee will put you through the wringer, but it is ultimately rewarding. It ends not with a fairy-tale resolution, but with a happy-for-now, hearts full of resilience, hope and joy.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Everyone Blooms
Artist: The Front Bottoms
Album: In Sickness & In Flames
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WASHED UP FOR FORMER CHILD STAR RYAN LEE: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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