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booksafety's Reviews (586)
Book safety, tropes & tags down below.
I didn’t write a review after the first time I read this book, but I really appreciate being able to check out the safety of books before reading, so figured I would do that on this one while it’s fresh in mind again.
First of all, this book is amazing. I love that it’s a little bit dark with past trauma for both MCs and external angst and drama, while at the same time, Nolan and Dallas build a beautiful friendship and eventual relationship that is strong. I appreciate books where, once the MCs get together, they’re just solid.
I feel like this book is very much centered around past mistakes, assumptions and forgiveness. How people can change, and that even though you can never forget, it’s better to let go of your anger and forgive those that have wronged you, so that you can move on.
Nolan was mercilessly bullied in school, and even though Dallas never actively joined in, he did nothing to stop it, and that is something both characters have to work through, both by themselves and together. It definitely added another facet to their dynamic that made their relationship more interesting, and not so cut and dry.
Both men have absolutely shitty families, and it angered me so bad to read about them. Nolan was able to work through some of his family issues, but in my opinion his mother got off rather easy.
Dallas talks about forgiving his parents and brother, but I have not and will not forgive those people. My god, they’re top tier awful. I hope his brother Maddox has to work for it a little more in his own book, because I am not in agreement with Dallas on this one. I guess I’m not the easily forgiving type, and I feel OK with that, lol.
This is my second read, and probably not my last. It was just that good. The audiobook was also fantastic.
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third act breakup: No
POV: Dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Versatile. They don’t switch on page, but it’s talked about later how they both switched for the first time with each other
TW/CW: car accident, coma, hospitalization, injury, death of parents, stroke, animal abuse (cattle prod, BB gun), animal cruelty, bullying, homophobia, religion, mentions of alcohol and pill abuse, mentions of ex cheating on of the MCs, surgery, falsely accused of a crime
Tropes & tags:
Mute MC, hurt/comfort, enemies-to-ONS-to-friends-to-lovers, small town/home town, corrupt police, animal sanctuary, size difference, protective MC, redemption, musician, high school jock/sports star, mutual childhood pining, high school bullies
Favorite quotes:
«They might not have been the most emotionally giving people in the world when I’d been growing up, but they’d kept me clothed and fed. There was no rule that said you had to love your kids too.»
«Dallas had described the black and white monstrosity as ‘ornery’ but not dangerous. And while the ‘not dangerous’ part had been accurate, the ‘ornery’ part had been way off the mark. The animal was a menace.»
«Because I think carrying that anger around is harder than just accepting that people make mistakes. No one’s guaranteed perfect parents, just like no one’s guaranteed the perfect life, no matter how much they plan for it. ‘I’m angry, Dallas. I’m so very angry,’ I admitted. Be angry, Nolan. Just don’t let it change who you are. If you do, they win.»
I didn’t write a review after the first time I read this book, but I really appreciate being able to check out the safety of books before reading, so figured I would do that on this one while it’s fresh in mind again.
First of all, this book is amazing. I love that it’s a little bit dark with past trauma for both MCs and external angst and drama, while at the same time, Nolan and Dallas build a beautiful friendship and eventual relationship that is strong. I appreciate books where, once the MCs get together, they’re just solid.
I feel like this book is very much centered around past mistakes, assumptions and forgiveness. How people can change, and that even though you can never forget, it’s better to let go of your anger and forgive those that have wronged you, so that you can move on.
Nolan was mercilessly bullied in school, and even though Dallas never actively joined in, he did nothing to stop it, and that is something both characters have to work through, both by themselves and together. It definitely added another facet to their dynamic that made their relationship more interesting, and not so cut and dry.
Both men have absolutely shitty families, and it angered me so bad to read about them. Nolan was able to work through some of his family issues, but in my opinion his mother got off rather easy.
Dallas talks about forgiving his parents and brother, but I have not and will not forgive those people. My god, they’re top tier awful. I hope his brother Maddox has to work for it a little more in his own book, because I am not in agreement with Dallas on this one. I guess I’m not the easily forgiving type, and I feel OK with that, lol.
This is my second read, and probably not my last. It was just that good. The audiobook was also fantastic.
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third act breakup: No
POV: Dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Versatile. They don’t switch on page, but it’s talked about later how they both switched for the first time with each other
TW/CW: car accident, coma, hospitalization, injury, death of parents, stroke, animal abuse (cattle prod, BB gun), animal cruelty, bullying, homophobia, religion, mentions of alcohol and pill abuse, mentions of ex cheating on of the MCs, surgery, falsely accused of a crime
Tropes & tags:
Spoiler
Mute MC, hurt/comfort, enemies-to-ONS-to-friends-to-lovers, small town/home town, corrupt police, animal sanctuary, size difference, protective MC, redemption, musician, high school jock/sports star, mutual childhood pining, high school bullies
Favorite quotes:
«They might not have been the most emotionally giving people in the world when I’d been growing up, but they’d kept me clothed and fed. There was no rule that said you had to love your kids too.»
«Dallas had described the black and white monstrosity as ‘ornery’ but not dangerous. And while the ‘not dangerous’ part had been accurate, the ‘ornery’ part had been way off the mark. The animal was a menace.»
«Because I think carrying that anger around is harder than just accepting that people make mistakes. No one’s guaranteed perfect parents, just like no one’s guaranteed the perfect life, no matter how much they plan for it. ‘I’m angry, Dallas. I’m so very angry,’ I admitted. Be angry, Nolan. Just don’t let it change who you are. If you do, they win.»
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
Sometimes a year changed a man in ways that couldn’t be measured in hours and days and weeks. Sometimes a year became the cornerstone of a life.
My second time reading The Quarterback, and I loved it even more this time because I read The Jock first. I had a better understanding of Justin and his reactions. I will start this by saying that I stand by saying that Colton can do no wrong. He is an absolute sweetheart who just wants someone to care. To show up. To love him. He’s probably the most in-touch-with-his-feelings 22 year old there ever was. That doesn’t make anything easier for him, but he is very emotionally mature (thankfully). There’s a massive age gap here (20 or 21 years), but it never feels creepy or predatory. Colton and Nick were just friends and neither of them had ever looked at a man sexually. They just fell for each other.
His first real friends in he couldn’t remember how long were his son, his son’s boyfriend, and their best friend, and that sounded like a midlife crisis in the making.
It’s a beautiful story with some heartbreak (it’s Tal Bauer after all), but nothing quite as crushing as in The Jock, in my opinion.
“The only thing I ever wanted more than football was for someone to love me.”
As per usual, the side character are all distinct and only add to the story. This book is as much a love story as it is a ‘life story’ of sorts, especially for Colton, who is trying to figure out who he is and what he wants.
If you loved me, I’d never make you regret it. I’d never give you a reason to wish we hadn’t met. If you loved me, I’d never let you drink to try to forget us.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Sexual awakening x2
Friend’s dad
Age gap
Football player
Friends to lovers
Single dad
Internship/working together
Friends to lovers
Secret relationship
Roommates
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Injury
Surgery
Hospitalization
Homophobia (off page, mostly)
Mentions of religious bigotry
Explicit sexual content
Fear of abandonment
Mentions of child abandonment
Divorce
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: Nick gets divorced during the book. Nothing happens between the MCs before that.
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
He had the bones and the heart of a man but the trepidations of a boy.
Colton understood that bone-deep yearning for a father, the poignant prickling of pain when you wanted and hoped and tried so hard, but all you heard was silence.
He had a cowboy name and a pair of cowboy boots, and every Texas boy had a hat in his closet, but if he was dropped in the countryside, he’d die in a ditch before he managed to unfuck himself enough to go the right way down a dirt track.
How had this happened? How had he fallen for Nick Swanscott? Well… nonstop togetherness probably had something to do with it. His weakness, too, for a man to turn to him with a smile and a word of praise and a teaspoon’s worth of attention.
Sometimes a year changed a man in ways that couldn’t be measured in hours and days and weeks. Sometimes a year became the cornerstone of a life.
My second time reading The Quarterback, and I loved it even more this time because I read The Jock first. I had a better understanding of Justin and his reactions. I will start this by saying that I stand by saying that Colton can do no wrong. He is an absolute sweetheart who just wants someone to care. To show up. To love him. He’s probably the most in-touch-with-his-feelings 22 year old there ever was. That doesn’t make anything easier for him, but he is very emotionally mature (thankfully). There’s a massive age gap here (20 or 21 years), but it never feels creepy or predatory. Colton and Nick were just friends and neither of them had ever looked at a man sexually. They just fell for each other.
His first real friends in he couldn’t remember how long were his son, his son’s boyfriend, and their best friend, and that sounded like a midlife crisis in the making.
It’s a beautiful story with some heartbreak (it’s Tal Bauer after all), but nothing quite as crushing as in The Jock, in my opinion.
“The only thing I ever wanted more than football was for someone to love me.”
As per usual, the side character are all distinct and only add to the story. This book is as much a love story as it is a ‘life story’ of sorts, especially for Colton, who is trying to figure out who he is and what he wants.
If you loved me, I’d never make you regret it. I’d never give you a reason to wish we hadn’t met. If you loved me, I’d never let you drink to try to forget us.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Sexual awakening x2
Friend’s dad
Age gap
Football player
Friends to lovers
Single dad
Internship/working together
Friends to lovers
Secret relationship
Roommates
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Injury
Surgery
Hospitalization
Homophobia (off page, mostly)
Mentions of religious bigotry
Explicit sexual content
Fear of abandonment
Mentions of child abandonment
Divorce
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: Nick gets divorced during the book. Nothing happens between the MCs before that.
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
He had the bones and the heart of a man but the trepidations of a boy.
Colton understood that bone-deep yearning for a father, the poignant prickling of pain when you wanted and hoped and tried so hard, but all you heard was silence.
He had a cowboy name and a pair of cowboy boots, and every Texas boy had a hat in his closet, but if he was dropped in the countryside, he’d die in a ditch before he managed to unfuck himself enough to go the right way down a dirt track.
How had this happened? How had he fallen for Nick Swanscott? Well… nonstop togetherness probably had something to do with it. His weakness, too, for a man to turn to him with a smile and a word of praise and a teaspoon’s worth of attention.
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
I don’t know how to say this without sounding critical, but these books are really OTT, but so damn entertaining. I’ve listened to the audiobook so many times, and Declan Winters did a really good job. And man oh man, the spice in these books is *chefs kiss*. This seems to be the case with every Kelly Fox book I’ve read so far.
Mads (sometimes Maddie, which is the cutest nickname) is a tiny adorable billionaire who constantly wears a massive orange puffer jacket because he’s always cold. It’s too cute for words. He can also take a good hard d*cking like nobody’s business, let me tell you. His character is totally OTT, but honestly, it works. It mellows out during the book after a while. He never stops being just a little dramatic, but that’s okay too.
I love the romantic-suspense-with-the-cast-of-every-law-enforcement-tv-show-ever. You know the ones - NCIS, Bones, Law & Order, etc. We’ve got the nerds, the goth hacker girl, the stoic security guy, the morally grey mobster, etc. It might not be realistic, but man is it entertaining. Oh, and Anthony was a better and more intriguing character than I expected. Definitely loyal beyond what anyone would ever expect of a friend.
The constant jokes about Mads’s jacket makes me laugh every time, especially when someone called him ‘deadliest catch’ lmao.
⚠️ Spoiler warning ⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No. Mads sleeps with escorts after meeting Anthony, but before they’re together in any way. Not detailed or on-page.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles. Anthony does enjoy a couple of fingers.
TW/CW
Violence, blood, killing, kidnapping, drugging, broken bones, explicit sexual content, mentions of forced prostitution, mentions of human trafficking, stalking, Mentions of homophobia
Tropes & tags
Billionaire, bodyguard, private security, tech company, kidnapping, murderous found family, c*ck warming, suckling, oral fixation, size difference (we’re talking bulging-abdomen-while-boinking size difference), interracial relationship, found family
I don’t know how to say this without sounding critical, but these books are really OTT, but so damn entertaining. I’ve listened to the audiobook so many times, and Declan Winters did a really good job. And man oh man, the spice in these books is *chefs kiss*. This seems to be the case with every Kelly Fox book I’ve read so far.
Mads (sometimes Maddie, which is the cutest nickname) is a tiny adorable billionaire who constantly wears a massive orange puffer jacket because he’s always cold. It’s too cute for words. He can also take a good hard d*cking like nobody’s business, let me tell you. His character is totally OTT, but honestly, it works. It mellows out during the book after a while. He never stops being just a little dramatic, but that’s okay too.
I love the romantic-suspense-with-the-cast-of-every-law-enforcement-tv-show-ever. You know the ones - NCIS, Bones, Law & Order, etc. We’ve got the nerds, the goth hacker girl, the stoic security guy, the morally grey mobster, etc. It might not be realistic, but man is it entertaining. Oh, and Anthony was a better and more intriguing character than I expected. Definitely loyal beyond what anyone would ever expect of a friend.
The constant jokes about Mads’s jacket makes me laugh every time, especially when someone called him ‘deadliest catch’ lmao.
⚠️ Spoiler warning ⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No. Mads sleeps with escorts after meeting Anthony, but before they’re together in any way. Not detailed or on-page.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles. Anthony does enjoy a couple of fingers.
TW/CW
Violence, blood, killing, kidnapping, drugging, broken bones, explicit sexual content, mentions of forced prostitution, mentions of human trafficking, stalking, Mentions of homophobia
Tropes & tags
Billionaire, bodyguard, private security, tech company, kidnapping, murderous found family, c*ck warming, suckling, oral fixation, size difference (we’re talking bulging-abdomen-while-boinking size difference), interracial relationship, found family
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
"I like him." "First time liking a guy?" "Yeah. First time." "Confused?" "Not really." "Scared?" "Fuck yeah."
This was a quick and sweet read, that actually made me quite emotional. I cared about both characters quite quickly, and I wanted them to figure it out and be together. It was entertaining and well written. It’s also quite a beautiful story about recovery from addiction, family and forgiveness. Would definitely recommend.
[…] forgiveness is a gift. It won't change anything that's happened, but it'll unlock a much better future.
I think what made me so emotional was the fact that one of them had feelings from the start, and said yes to a FWB situation, knowing/thinking the other MC didn’t feel the same (yet), and might not ever do so. I’m making it sound way angstier than it actually was, but my little demisexual heart freaking hurt on Roman’s behalf.
"Baby." Roman sweeps the side of my face with his long fingers. "The deal was sealed the moment I laid my eyes on you."
This is my first book by this author, so I don’t know if this one is a good representation or not, but I wanted a little more from the spicy scenes, mostly because it was the first time with a man for one of the MCs, and we got very little details/thoughts/feelings around that. Not a massive problem by any means, but I would’ve liked a little more.
My downstairs department setting is set to floppy. Okay. Maybe not entirely floppy. Semi-floppy. Or semi-hard. Depends if you're a cock half hard or cock half soft person, I guess.
Overall very enjoyable.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Friends to lovers
Ex criminal
Roommates
Friends with benefits
Possessive and protective
Gentle giant
Bisexual awakening
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Cheating ex (some details)
Non-consensual porn (past)
Threat of revenge porn
Mentions of being incarcerated
Divorce proceedings
Mild stalking (the friendly kind)
Mentions of alcoholism/addiction (no relapse, few details)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC ages: 34 and 36
Have I actually changed? The person beneath the addiction and all the mistakes. Sure, I've got a job, and whenever I'm not working, I'm helping out at the shelter. Saving every penny and paying Bishop back in monthly installments. Completely eliminating booze and drugs from my life. But that's just stuff I'm doing differently, does it mean I'm a different person? Or do I still have the same impulses, the same tendencies, the same recklessness that created so much havoc in my life before?
"I like him." "First time liking a guy?" "Yeah. First time." "Confused?" "Not really." "Scared?" "Fuck yeah."
This was a quick and sweet read, that actually made me quite emotional. I cared about both characters quite quickly, and I wanted them to figure it out and be together. It was entertaining and well written. It’s also quite a beautiful story about recovery from addiction, family and forgiveness. Would definitely recommend.
[…] forgiveness is a gift. It won't change anything that's happened, but it'll unlock a much better future.
I think what made me so emotional was the fact that one of them had feelings from the start, and said yes to a FWB situation, knowing/thinking the other MC didn’t feel the same (yet), and might not ever do so. I’m making it sound way angstier than it actually was, but my little demisexual heart freaking hurt on Roman’s behalf.
"Baby." Roman sweeps the side of my face with his long fingers. "The deal was sealed the moment I laid my eyes on you."
This is my first book by this author, so I don’t know if this one is a good representation or not, but I wanted a little more from the spicy scenes, mostly because it was the first time with a man for one of the MCs, and we got very little details/thoughts/feelings around that. Not a massive problem by any means, but I would’ve liked a little more.
My downstairs department setting is set to floppy. Okay. Maybe not entirely floppy. Semi-floppy. Or semi-hard. Depends if you're a cock half hard or cock half soft person, I guess.
Overall very enjoyable.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Friends to lovers
Ex criminal
Roommates
Friends with benefits
Possessive and protective
Gentle giant
Bisexual awakening
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Cheating ex (some details)
Non-consensual porn (past)
Threat of revenge porn
Mentions of being incarcerated
Divorce proceedings
Mild stalking (the friendly kind)
Mentions of alcoholism/addiction (no relapse, few details)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC ages: 34 and 36
Have I actually changed? The person beneath the addiction and all the mistakes. Sure, I've got a job, and whenever I'm not working, I'm helping out at the shelter. Saving every penny and paying Bishop back in monthly installments. Completely eliminating booze and drugs from my life. But that's just stuff I'm doing differently, does it mean I'm a different person? Or do I still have the same impulses, the same tendencies, the same recklessness that created so much havoc in my life before?
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
“My kind are… we abhor violence. We try not to hurt others, even if they are hurting us.”
It’s been a while since I last read or listened to this, probably right after the audiobook came out, but I still love it. I remember being surprised by how different it was from book 1 and 2, now that we got a book from a raider’s perspective. It’s less isolated, with a whole cast of interesting side characters. There’s not really a lot going on in this book plot-wise, but I adore the MCs enough for it not to matter.
“We’re not expecting this to get violent, are we?” I asked to try and put Rig at ease. He didn’t do well with violence anyway. Not that I did either, but at least my natural instinct was flight. Rig’s was freeze, which wasn’t good in the Wastes, where things tended to chase you.
Ghost is one of my favorite human characters in the Monstrous series, largely because of his struggle with anxiety. I could immediately relate to his character. I also just find him incredibly adorable and sweet. The same can definitely be said for Aury. He is an absolute sweetheart, and deserves all the good things in the universe. Let’s just say that after reading this book, you will totally understand why everyone is so damn afraid of Aury, lol. However, he is still just this adorable guy which any ol’ grandma would love to pinch the fudge outta.
Why did humans have to try and ruin and torture and hurt everything that they didn’t fully understand?
There’s not a single book in the series that didn’t make me cry, but out of the first three, this is the one that hit me hardest emotionally. It’s beautiful, it’s sweet, it’s sometimes even funny, aaand if you’re a fan of large amounts of bodily fluids, you’ll find this book hot as hell, lol.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Age gap
Anxiety rep
Hurt/comfort
Found family
Dystopian
Post-apocalyptic
Raider camp
So much bodily fluids
Cum kink
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Anxiety
PTSD
Injured MC
Graphic violence
Mentions of captivity
Mentions of torture
On-page killing (graphic)
Speciesism
Bigotry
*Most of this list can be found on the author’s website: lily-mayne.com
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, single POV
Genre: Fantasy/monster romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
MCs age: 26 and 700
“One of the deadliest species of monster there is.” He ground his teeth together, as though he didn’t want to admit the next part. “One feared almost universally by all others.” Anchor and I stared at him in silence, before slowly looking at each other. I think pure shock was the only thing that stopped us from bursting out laughing. Aury? One of the deadliest and most feared monsters in existence?
“My kind are… we abhor violence. We try not to hurt others, even if they are hurting us.”
It’s been a while since I last read or listened to this, probably right after the audiobook came out, but I still love it. I remember being surprised by how different it was from book 1 and 2, now that we got a book from a raider’s perspective. It’s less isolated, with a whole cast of interesting side characters. There’s not really a lot going on in this book plot-wise, but I adore the MCs enough for it not to matter.
“We’re not expecting this to get violent, are we?” I asked to try and put Rig at ease. He didn’t do well with violence anyway. Not that I did either, but at least my natural instinct was flight. Rig’s was freeze, which wasn’t good in the Wastes, where things tended to chase you.
Ghost is one of my favorite human characters in the Monstrous series, largely because of his struggle with anxiety. I could immediately relate to his character. I also just find him incredibly adorable and sweet. The same can definitely be said for Aury. He is an absolute sweetheart, and deserves all the good things in the universe. Let’s just say that after reading this book, you will totally understand why everyone is so damn afraid of Aury, lol. However, he is still just this adorable guy which any ol’ grandma would love to pinch the fudge outta.
Why did humans have to try and ruin and torture and hurt everything that they didn’t fully understand?
There’s not a single book in the series that didn’t make me cry, but out of the first three, this is the one that hit me hardest emotionally. It’s beautiful, it’s sweet, it’s sometimes even funny, aaand if you’re a fan of large amounts of bodily fluids, you’ll find this book hot as hell, lol.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Age gap
Anxiety rep
Hurt/comfort
Found family
Dystopian
Post-apocalyptic
Raider camp
So much bodily fluids
Cum kink
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Anxiety
PTSD
Injured MC
Graphic violence
Mentions of captivity
Mentions of torture
On-page killing (graphic)
Speciesism
Bigotry
*Most of this list can be found on the author’s website: lily-mayne.com
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, single POV
Genre: Fantasy/monster romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
MCs age: 26 and 700
“One of the deadliest species of monster there is.” He ground his teeth together, as though he didn’t want to admit the next part. “One feared almost universally by all others.” Anchor and I stared at him in silence, before slowly looking at each other. I think pure shock was the only thing that stopped us from bursting out laughing. Aury? One of the deadliest and most feared monsters in existence?
Book safety, content warnings and tropes & tags down below.
“You threatened my mother. With a smile on your face.” I open my hands, deadly serious. “Of course. You must enjoy what it is you do in life.”
Hopper has been such a fun side character the entire series, and I was super excited to get to his book and see him finally wear down his RICO agent. Agent Hughes has the patience of a saint, honestly lol. Their relationship and the entire stalker/reverse-stalking situation wouldn’t have worked if Hopper hadn’t been such a sweetheart. The tragic backstory helps.
And no one will ever, ever be as good at murder as you.” My cheeks flush and I press my face into his neck. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. Thank you.”
The book is, like every other in the series completely OTT, but I dig it. I had very high expectations after getting to know the MCs over the entire series, but it thankfully didn’t disappoint me. I guess I expected a little more murder just because of how Hopper is, but I liked seeing his sweet side and to learn about his history just as much. Liam definitely had some good character development going (over the entire series, really), and I appreciate that he learned to understand Hopper. I also adore the audiobook. I recently watched the narrator panel at GRL where Declan Winters talks about this book, and Hopper specifically, being one of the most challenging books and characters to narrate emotionally, and I thought that just made the book even better. He really did a fantastic job with book 2-4.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person look more alone. Except sometimes when I look in the mirror.
⚠️ Spoiler alert ⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Content warning
Murder
Graphic violence
Grief
Gun violence
Mentions of forced prostitution
Mentions of child sex trafficking
Mentions of FASD
Claustrophobic event
Death of a family member (off page)
Stalking (friendly)
Gun play (sexual)
Explicit sexual content
Tropes & tags
FBI agent
Mafia enforcer
Serial killer
Morally grey MC
Docking
Mild blood play
Gun play
Mild cum play
Possessive and protective and obsessive
Past trauma
Friendly stalking
Found family
She is wary about my love for Liam. To be fair, I do stalk him, but not in a bad way. Also, he started it. That’s when she points out Liam had been running a government-led investigation at the time, which doesn’t count as stalking.
“You threatened my mother. With a smile on your face.” I open my hands, deadly serious. “Of course. You must enjoy what it is you do in life.”
Hopper has been such a fun side character the entire series, and I was super excited to get to his book and see him finally wear down his RICO agent. Agent Hughes has the patience of a saint, honestly lol. Their relationship and the entire stalker/reverse-stalking situation wouldn’t have worked if Hopper hadn’t been such a sweetheart. The tragic backstory helps.
And no one will ever, ever be as good at murder as you.” My cheeks flush and I press my face into his neck. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. Thank you.”
The book is, like every other in the series completely OTT, but I dig it. I had very high expectations after getting to know the MCs over the entire series, but it thankfully didn’t disappoint me. I guess I expected a little more murder just because of how Hopper is, but I liked seeing his sweet side and to learn about his history just as much. Liam definitely had some good character development going (over the entire series, really), and I appreciate that he learned to understand Hopper. I also adore the audiobook. I recently watched the narrator panel at GRL where Declan Winters talks about this book, and Hopper specifically, being one of the most challenging books and characters to narrate emotionally, and I thought that just made the book even better. He really did a fantastic job with book 2-4.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person look more alone. Except sometimes when I look in the mirror.
⚠️ Spoiler alert ⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Content warning
Murder
Graphic violence
Grief
Gun violence
Mentions of forced prostitution
Mentions of child sex trafficking
Mentions of FASD
Claustrophobic event
Death of a family member (off page)
Stalking (friendly)
Gun play (sexual)
Explicit sexual content
Tropes & tags
FBI agent
Mafia enforcer
Serial killer
Morally grey MC
Docking
Mild blood play
Gun play
Mild cum play
Possessive and protective and obsessive
Past trauma
Friendly stalking
Found family
She is wary about my love for Liam. To be fair, I do stalk him, but not in a bad way. Also, he started it. That’s when she points out Liam had been running a government-led investigation at the time, which doesn’t count as stalking.
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
“Can I have ice cream with sprinkles?” Henry signed before I finished my sentence and gave me the most adoring look. Oh dear, that was going to be a hard look to say no to.
I forgot (read: didn’t feel like) writing the review for this book, so it’s been a few days since I finished it. Therefore the details aren’t exactly fresh in mind, but I *do* remember how much I loved it. It’s easily one of my favorite books with age regression, and I really enjoyed the well done disability representation as well. I felt like it was all handled with sensitivity, and I would think the authors researched what they were writing about. As a hearing person I obviously can’t comment on the accuracy of the representation, but I *think* it was done well.
When I got back into the bathroom, I learned a fundamental Daddy lesson. Never leave a Little alone in the tub with bath colors.
I really enjoyed reading about a Little who got a little bratty when he was comfortable. Nothing extreme, but he wasn’t always a ‘perfect boy’. The MCs connection overall was very sweet and believable. It was super fast though. Not necessarily insta love, but insta *something*, lol.
“Hey. No one said anything about spanking me. You’re supposed to fuck me.” “You’re topping from the bottom, Henry. That’s a spanking offense.” “Am not.”
One of the MCs grew up in a cult of white supremacists, and he suffered some abuse there, including a vicious and violent attack when he tried to leave. There’s not a huge amount of details around any of these things, but that’s where all of the content warnings come from.
Definitely recommend if you enjoy reading about age play.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Disability rep
Deaf MC
Age regression
ABDL with wetting
Lonely MC
Needy MC
Age gap
Found family
Growing up in a cult
Dong cage
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Mentions of past hate crime
Beating (past)
Anxiety
ABDL with wetting
Explicit sexual content
White supremacist cult
Mentions of neo nazi rhetoric
Religious extremism
Bullying
Homophobia
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 26 and 41
“Is this your first time?” He nodded and just stared at me. “It’s scary, right?” He nodded at me. He had tears on his face, and it sounded like he needed a tissue. No self-respecting Daddy went anywhere without supplies, so I reached into my pocket and pulled out a hanky and handed it to him.
“Why? I didn’t even say monster python yet.” To my surprise, Caden glanced down at his crotch, and I giggled. “Daddy has a monster python.” “If you ever say monster python in public, I will put your willy into a cage for a week.” “You would not.”
“Can I have ice cream with sprinkles?” Henry signed before I finished my sentence and gave me the most adoring look. Oh dear, that was going to be a hard look to say no to.
I forgot (read: didn’t feel like) writing the review for this book, so it’s been a few days since I finished it. Therefore the details aren’t exactly fresh in mind, but I *do* remember how much I loved it. It’s easily one of my favorite books with age regression, and I really enjoyed the well done disability representation as well. I felt like it was all handled with sensitivity, and I would think the authors researched what they were writing about. As a hearing person I obviously can’t comment on the accuracy of the representation, but I *think* it was done well.
When I got back into the bathroom, I learned a fundamental Daddy lesson. Never leave a Little alone in the tub with bath colors.
I really enjoyed reading about a Little who got a little bratty when he was comfortable. Nothing extreme, but he wasn’t always a ‘perfect boy’. The MCs connection overall was very sweet and believable. It was super fast though. Not necessarily insta love, but insta *something*, lol.
“Hey. No one said anything about spanking me. You’re supposed to fuck me.” “You’re topping from the bottom, Henry. That’s a spanking offense.” “Am not.”
One of the MCs grew up in a cult of white supremacists, and he suffered some abuse there, including a vicious and violent attack when he tried to leave. There’s not a huge amount of details around any of these things, but that’s where all of the content warnings come from.
Definitely recommend if you enjoy reading about age play.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Disability rep
Deaf MC
Age regression
ABDL with wetting
Lonely MC
Needy MC
Age gap
Found family
Growing up in a cult
Dong cage
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Mentions of past hate crime
Beating (past)
Anxiety
ABDL with wetting
Explicit sexual content
White supremacist cult
Mentions of neo nazi rhetoric
Religious extremism
Bullying
Homophobia
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 26 and 41
“Is this your first time?” He nodded and just stared at me. “It’s scary, right?” He nodded at me. He had tears on his face, and it sounded like he needed a tissue. No self-respecting Daddy went anywhere without supplies, so I reached into my pocket and pulled out a hanky and handed it to him.
“Why? I didn’t even say monster python yet.” To my surprise, Caden glanced down at his crotch, and I giggled. “Daddy has a monster python.” “If you ever say monster python in public, I will put your willy into a cage for a week.” “You would not.”
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
Benji wanted Leo to look at him like he was worth something. Like he was wanted, needed even. But Benji didn’t know how to make people look at him with anything but pity, misery, or disbelief.
This book was very charming and quite sweet. Benji was a walking disaster and totally OTT, but also very endearing. I do enjoy characters like that a lot. The book was also surprisingly low angst considering the main trope is ‘best friend’s dad’. To say that Benji has an awesome best friend is the understatement of the year.
He felt like he had the words, I kissed your dad, and I liked it, printed on his forehead.
I don’t really have a lot of thoughts as it was all pretty straight forward. Benji made me tear up a couple of times because he had totally lost faith in himself and didn’t believe anyone could or ever would love him, which of course got me right in the feels. I didn’t really connect much with the other MC, Leo, which was unfortunate, but I didn’t have any issues with him either. It was all very uncomplicated, even though they both experienced some bouts of insecurity in themselves and the relationship. It was cute, fairly hot, and an easy and quick read.
Benji was his goddammit, and he kissed him like forever was a foregone conclusion.
3.75 stars
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Age gap
Best friend’s dad
Forced proximity
Roommates
Friends to lovers
Virgin MC
Single dad
Clumsy and accident prone MC
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Mentions of homophobic parent
Mentions of being disowned
Explicit sexual content
Homelessness
Financial insecurity
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
MCs age: 25 and *not specified.
*as far as I could tell.
“Apparently, the fastest way to make me emotional is to be nice to me.”
“Consent is a two-way street, love. It’s okay for anyone to ask, at any time.”
It still stung, though, to know that he was the one carrying torches for someone who wouldn’t light a match for him.
This quote makes the book sound way angstier than it is, so it’s not a great representation out of context. I just thought it was a lovely (and sad) quote.
Benji wanted Leo to look at him like he was worth something. Like he was wanted, needed even. But Benji didn’t know how to make people look at him with anything but pity, misery, or disbelief.
This book was very charming and quite sweet. Benji was a walking disaster and totally OTT, but also very endearing. I do enjoy characters like that a lot. The book was also surprisingly low angst considering the main trope is ‘best friend’s dad’. To say that Benji has an awesome best friend is the understatement of the year.
He felt like he had the words, I kissed your dad, and I liked it, printed on his forehead.
I don’t really have a lot of thoughts as it was all pretty straight forward. Benji made me tear up a couple of times because he had totally lost faith in himself and didn’t believe anyone could or ever would love him, which of course got me right in the feels. I didn’t really connect much with the other MC, Leo, which was unfortunate, but I didn’t have any issues with him either. It was all very uncomplicated, even though they both experienced some bouts of insecurity in themselves and the relationship. It was cute, fairly hot, and an easy and quick read.
Benji was his goddammit, and he kissed him like forever was a foregone conclusion.
3.75 stars
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Age gap
Best friend’s dad
Forced proximity
Roommates
Friends to lovers
Virgin MC
Single dad
Clumsy and accident prone MC
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Mentions of homophobic parent
Mentions of being disowned
Explicit sexual content
Homelessness
Financial insecurity
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
MCs age: 25 and *not specified.
*as far as I could tell.
“Apparently, the fastest way to make me emotional is to be nice to me.”
“Consent is a two-way street, love. It’s okay for anyone to ask, at any time.”
It still stung, though, to know that he was the one carrying torches for someone who wouldn’t light a match for him.
This quote makes the book sound way angstier than it is, so it’s not a great representation out of context. I just thought it was a lovely (and sad) quote.
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
“I don’t want to die, Gloam,” I whispered out loud, my voice soft and wobbly with terror. “I’m scared.”
Alright. Gloam and Rig time. These two dudes are just the cutest. This story is again completely different from the three books that came before it. We travel through the wastes while Rig tries to free Gloam, the monster with the tight leather pants and ass-kicker boots. They write really cute notes in order to communicate, and some of my favorite scenes from this book is just the ‘quiet’ evenings out in the wastes when nothing much happens, and they just get to know each other.
I was just… Rig. Not even Adam anymore. Just Rig. Good at fixing stuff. Good for a laugh. Normally, anyway. I didn’t feel much like laughing right now.
That’s not to say that the action-y bits aren’t awesome, because they really are. If you’ve read my reviews before, you might have an inkling about how much I love suspense and external drama, which really makes this series perfect for me. There’s not really a massive amount to say about this book, but if you’ve enjoyed the other books up until this point, I would expect you to enjoy this as well.
“Nasty habit,” Lilac commented flatly after a minute of silence. I snorted, reaching up to rub my eyes, my cigarette clasped between two fingers. “So is killing people.” “If I start to crave killing like you crave nicotine, everyone in this camp should be worried.”
Rig and Gloam just work really well as a couple, and sometimes they made me cry a lot. Other times they ensured I needed a cold shower. Holy hell they were hot together. Lily Mayne can write spice like very few others. Definitely a league of her own.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Fantasy
Dystopian
Monster/human
Raider camp
Rescue mission
Size difference
Power bottom,
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Captivity
Speciesism
Mentions of cannibalism
Severe injury and amputation (side character)
On-page killing
Graphic violence
Explicit sexual content
Slavery
Non-human genitalia
Mpreg possible for the monster species
(No mpreg in this book)
*Most of this list can be found on the author’s website:
lily-mayne.com
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, single POV
Genre: Fantasy/monster romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
MCs age: 25 and 1000 + change
Wait, were humans apex predators? Maybe we had been, but I doubted we were anymore.
“Don’t make me get a boner while I’m kneeling in blood. Who knows what kind of kink could spawn from that.”
“I don’t want to die, Gloam,” I whispered out loud, my voice soft and wobbly with terror. “I’m scared.”
Alright. Gloam and Rig time. These two dudes are just the cutest. This story is again completely different from the three books that came before it. We travel through the wastes while Rig tries to free Gloam, the monster with the tight leather pants and ass-kicker boots. They write really cute notes in order to communicate, and some of my favorite scenes from this book is just the ‘quiet’ evenings out in the wastes when nothing much happens, and they just get to know each other.
I was just… Rig. Not even Adam anymore. Just Rig. Good at fixing stuff. Good for a laugh. Normally, anyway. I didn’t feel much like laughing right now.
That’s not to say that the action-y bits aren’t awesome, because they really are. If you’ve read my reviews before, you might have an inkling about how much I love suspense and external drama, which really makes this series perfect for me. There’s not really a massive amount to say about this book, but if you’ve enjoyed the other books up until this point, I would expect you to enjoy this as well.
“Nasty habit,” Lilac commented flatly after a minute of silence. I snorted, reaching up to rub my eyes, my cigarette clasped between two fingers. “So is killing people.” “If I start to crave killing like you crave nicotine, everyone in this camp should be worried.”
Rig and Gloam just work really well as a couple, and sometimes they made me cry a lot. Other times they ensured I needed a cold shower. Holy hell they were hot together. Lily Mayne can write spice like very few others. Definitely a league of her own.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Fantasy
Dystopian
Monster/human
Raider camp
Rescue mission
Size difference
Power bottom,
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Captivity
Speciesism
Mentions of cannibalism
Severe injury and amputation (side character)
On-page killing
Graphic violence
Explicit sexual content
Slavery
Non-human genitalia
Mpreg possible for the monster species
(No mpreg in this book)
*Most of this list can be found on the author’s website:
lily-mayne.com
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, single POV
Genre: Fantasy/monster romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
MCs age: 25 and 1000 + change
Wait, were humans apex predators? Maybe we had been, but I doubted we were anymore.
“Don’t make me get a boner while I’m kneeling in blood. Who knows what kind of kink could spawn from that.”
*Some* book safety and content warnings down below.
Okay, this is next level frustrating. I wrote a review for this, detailed with all of my usual content warnings and book safety information. I somehow forgot to actually post the damn thing, and deleted my review when I started writing my next one. So here we are, very few thoughts left, and none of the usual info. Sorry.
What I do remember is that this book, just like book 1, was highly entertaining. I didn’t love it *as* much, simply because I didn’t dig the MCs as much, but it was still really good. I very much enjoy the magical world Lori has created, and I’m looking forward to the third book. I adore shifter books, and even though the shifter MC in this was just a ‘regular’ wolf shifter, the rest of the world it’s set in is very unique, and I can’t imagine confusing this series with any other paranormal series. It’s delightfully original somehow.
⚠️ What I do remember of the usual info ⚠️
Cheating: No
Breakups: No
OM drama: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Paranormal romance, M/M
There’s graphic violence, attempted murder, a car accident, mentions of human trafficking, explicit sexual content, and there might have been on-page killing. I don’t remember for sure, and the list is probably not complete.
As for tropes, we’ve got paranormal, wolf shifter/human, fated mates, small town, rescue mission, found family, past trauma, and I’m sure even more delightful stuff.
Okay, this is next level frustrating. I wrote a review for this, detailed with all of my usual content warnings and book safety information. I somehow forgot to actually post the damn thing, and deleted my review when I started writing my next one. So here we are, very few thoughts left, and none of the usual info. Sorry.
What I do remember is that this book, just like book 1, was highly entertaining. I didn’t love it *as* much, simply because I didn’t dig the MCs as much, but it was still really good. I very much enjoy the magical world Lori has created, and I’m looking forward to the third book. I adore shifter books, and even though the shifter MC in this was just a ‘regular’ wolf shifter, the rest of the world it’s set in is very unique, and I can’t imagine confusing this series with any other paranormal series. It’s delightfully original somehow.
⚠️ What I do remember of the usual info ⚠️
Cheating: No
Breakups: No
OM drama: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Paranormal romance, M/M
There’s graphic violence, attempted murder, a car accident, mentions of human trafficking, explicit sexual content, and there might have been on-page killing. I don’t remember for sure, and the list is probably not complete.
As for tropes, we’ve got paranormal, wolf shifter/human, fated mates, small town, rescue mission, found family, past trauma, and I’m sure even more delightful stuff.