booksafety's Reviews (586)

 Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.

I was really excited for this story after reading A Pika’s Safe Haven, but sadly it did not deliver on anything I expected or wanted. I was waiting for covert cuddles and sweet family interactions, paired with Odessa’s usual spicy goodness. There were a lot of interactions over the phone which didn’t do much for me — if you’re a fan of phone sex in books then this is probably perfect. There were also a couple time jumps with no clear indication or info about how long, and the editing was rough. I do know the author was dealing with a sick pet and wanted to finish the book quickly, which I understand. Sadly it didn’t have great results for the story.

Traumatizing sentence incoming:

Maybe he got up in the night and dragged his wet ass across the hardwood floor like a dog with worms.

Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Omegaverse
Alpha x omega
Brothers
Brocest
Taboo
Novella
Hawk shifters
Unexpected heat
Omega awakening
Scenting
Phone sex
Breeding kink
Size difference
Virgin MC

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Slick
Explicit sexual content
Incest

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Taboo shifter romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 18/19 and 20/21
Series: Interconnected novella
Kindle Unlimited: No
Pages: 106
Happy ending: Yes


"I'm sorry that I'm not around as much anymore." I miss him, Father, and Callum. It's better if I don't live at home. Not with Altair. "Is it because of me?" Altair's voice is shaky and sad as he pulls away. I drop my arm over his shoulder and shake my head as I tuck him against my side once more. "It's because of me."

One day, if I'm not careful, I'll cross lines I can't pretend weren't crossed. I'm already close to my breaking point, and every time I see him, I get a little closer, but I can't bring myself to pull away. He's still my little brother, and I love him. 

 Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.

It had its good moments but I must admit this felt pretty forgettable. I’m just waiting for Poppy and Viol’s story, really. I was more invested in the parts about those two guys than I was the actual MCs.

One part of me really loves that this author writes plus size characters, but another part of me is sometimes mildly triggered by the way they’re described because of my own issues. Bit of a tricky situation for me, but obviously not the author’s fault. Mostly it’s really nice tho, and clearly much-needed rep.

These books are fun and low angst, but I’m in the mood for more serious books with more angst lately, so maybe it would’ve worked better for me another time.

3.5 stars

Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Dragon shifter
Polar bear shifter
Dating game show
Omegaverse
Alpha/omega
Mpreg
Grumpy/sunshine
Size difference
Plus size MC
Virgin MC
First times
Instalove

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Discrimination based on designation (omegas treated as ‘lesser’)
Fatshaming comment towards MC by SC
Explicit sexual content
MC attempting to kill SC (badly injured)
Internalized fatphobia
Past physical abuse
Slick & mpreg
On-page egg birth

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Shifter romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 24 and not specified
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 261
Happy ending: Yes


“You know, you’re swearing a lot for a babysitter,” I pointed out. “Minty’s too young to remember,” Viol dismissed. His face brightened when he tickled the top of the fluffy dragonet’s head. “Isn’t that right, cutie?” “Fack!” Mint exclaimed. The kitchen fell dead silent. Viol and I stared at each other. In a low voice, he warned, “If you tell anyone where he learned that word, I’ll skin you.”

The bear was silent as he stared. Two small black eyes were focused on me, standing out like an adorable pair of buttons on a huge patch of white. He was really, really cute.

Mesmerized, my gaze drifted lower. The first thing I noticed was Rorik’s big belly. It looked so soft, especially with the dusting of pale hair. I wanted to bury my face in it. Rorik was fat, but clearly fit. Powerful biceps lurked beneath the flab of his arms, and his hairy thighs were as thick as tree trunks. He looked strong enough to lift the couch with one hand. In summary, he was really fucking hot.

“Did you just call me the light of your life?” I chuckled wetly. “That’s gay, dude.” 

 Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.

I’m pretty sure I enjoyed this lol. I have to admit I must’ve zoned out like crazy at the end of this because I didn’t realize I had finished it until I checked the audio and saw it was marked as ‘finished’. The relationship was solid and sweet and I’m enjoying their dynamic a lot. My favorite parts were of course the action and danger, and I thought the author did a good job with the descriptions of the storms. A huge chunk of the book is about a cyclone hitting where the MCs are, so it’s a romance with an established couple crossed with a suspenseful situation - aka my kryptonite.

I’m looking forward to seeing what these guys get up to in book 3.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Established couple
Trilogy
Opposites attract
Sunshine MC
Hands-free orgasm
Natural disaster

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Mention of traumatic death of parent (past)
Extreme natural disaster
Detailed destruction from natural disaster

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles (switch in book 3)
Main characters’ age: Not specified
Series: Series
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 198
Happy ending: Yes


“So you can just declare us boyfriends without consulting with me?” “Correct. What would you prefer I introduce you as?” He looked from the road to me. “Lover? Fuck buddy?” “Oh my god, no.” “Meteorological cohabitator?” I squinted at him. He grinned, victorious. “See? Boyfriend it is.”

I wanted lightning and thunder. I wanted light shows of fury and power. Not paths of death and destruction.

I’d never been this happy. I’d never been in love before. And that’s what this was. Stupid, far too soon, but love all the same. I’d fallen headfirst, with my whole heart, for Jeremiah.

Ellis opened the passenger door to the Jeep. “Get in the back,” Tully said. “That’s Jeremiah’s seat. Learn your place.” 

 Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.

It’s been a while since I was this disappointed by a book. The first 50% were amazing and it was shaping up to be my favorite throuple book, 5 stars, everything. Then it just fell apart. It felt like the authors completely lost interest in finishing the story properly, choosing to skip and downplay everything that had to do with the police and the abusive ex girlfriend, instead writing as many sex scenes as they could, including another one in the epilogue. Don’t get me started on the MC’s dirtbag family who were magically forgiven in .2 seconds.

I mean — spoiler alert — if you skip a main character being interrogated by the police because of accusations of fraud made by an abusive ex, instead focusing on the MCs taking a goddamn bath together (not their first one, mind you), then I’m gonna be a hater forever and ever.

I also genuinely thought the authors had to be fucking with me when I read these two quotes:

The referee slid his way between the two centers and threw the puck in the air.

We won by two points, the game ending up three to one for the Blizzards.

Could they not be bothered to watch a single hockey game before writing a book with a professional hockey player? Because if they did, they would know that a puck is dropped onto the ice, not fucking thrown in the air???, and games are won by goals, not points. There are a lot of inaccuracies in hockey books in the romance genre, but this is almost impressive and another level entirely of lazy writing.


[image]


2.5 stars because I’m mad. The first half was a solid 5 and I’m so sad about it.

Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Established couple adds third
Married couple
MMM
Tattoo artist MC
Exhibitionism
Hockey player MC
Size difference
Nipple piercings
Threesomes
Voice kink
Hurt/comfort
Fast feelings
Spitroasted
DAP
Hands-free orgasms

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Domestic abuse - MC physically and verbally abused by girlfriend on page
MC manipulated and gaslighted by girlfriend (past and present, on page)
On-page death of pet fish
Explicit sexual content
Exhibitionism — public sex
Toxic masculinity
MC cheated on by girlfriend (off page, past)
Alcohol consumption
Internalized fatphobia (thoughts of needing to run to work off food)
Brief mention of child abandonment (past)
Mention of death of parent (cancer, past)
Breath play (mild choking and throat-fucking)
Grandma commenting on MC being skinny (not negatively)
Biphobia and homophobia (SC)

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, multi
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 24, 29 and 31
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 302
Happy ending: Yes 

 Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.

I went back and forth, wondering if I should review this book at all, considering it’s an ARC and a debut, and I don’t have much nice to say. I do believe the bones for a really good story is there, but the execution is lacking.

There were three or four bigger things that massively impacted my enjoyment, and the main one is the fact that so many important scenes and conversations were just… skipped. The scenes change a lot with no break or natural pause in the story. They went from being at school to being at home, sometimes with days inbetween, in the same paragraph. The most important conversations, the ones the reader will be waiting to get to (the big happening, really), were skipped when you get there. Essentially they were summed up by ‘so he told them everything’, and described the other characters’ reactions. It was infuriating and then lost the ability to have any emotional impact.

My second issue was the fact that one of the main characters is only 17 years old for half the book for seemingly no reason. Sure, the MCs don’t have sex until after he turns 18 (only briefly mentioned in one sentence, had to go back and check), but there is a lot of sexual thoughts and tension and descriptions of him fighting his erections before then. I often avoid reading books with really young MCs, so this made it even worse.

While I enjoyed the fact that the book explored the impact of grooming, gaslighting and abuse — the confusion and guilt — it wasn’t executed that well. I fully forgot the MC was even supposed to be struggling, because he wasn’t, for the most part. There is obviously no right way to be traumatized, but most of the book felt like a regular high school drama situation, until the author remembered to include something about the abuse.

The final thing I want to mention, which is a spoiler so feel free to skip, is this scene:

I shook my head and hardened my jaw. “With one word from him, you went right back to Daddy.” “No,” he said softly. Too softly when all I saw was pain and red. “Did you let him fuck you?” Jesus, I couldn’t stop this runaway train. “He held you right there”—I aimlessly pointed at the house—“as if he had every right to, and you fuckin’ let him, Tate.”

Implying that someone would let their rapist do anything to them is horrid. While this kind of thinking isn’t necessarily uncommon, especially with young people, this happens at 92% and the MCs have been a couple for months at this point. He should know better.

Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Past trauma
Stepbrothers
Forced proximity
Small town Alabama
High school
Size difference
Virgin MC
Country vs city

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
References to parent’s drug and alcohol abuse
Details of long-term sexual child abuse of MC by step parent
MC groomed and abused by step parent
MC sexually abused in present time (no graphic details)
Smoking cigarettes
Underage drinking
Psychological and emotional abuse
Homophobic comments
Mention of death of parent (past, car accident)
MC injured in car accident (past)
Violence
Disordered eating
Explicit sexual content
SC bullied and beaten (mostly off page)
Homophobic slurs
MC punching other MC (after getting together, during fight)
Brief mention of MC’s step parent being killed off page

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Almost
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles - they discuss switching in the future
Main characters’ age: 18 and 17 for half the book (turns 18 before they have sex)
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 374
Happy ending: Yes 

 Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

“I can tell you there is nothing casual in how I feel about Matthew. If he’s thinking about rearranging his life for me, then I’ll fit myself into any shape he creates.”

465 pages and it felt like maybe half of that. I wasn’t bored for a single second and finished it more quickly than any book recently. I must admit I didn’t have a lot of expectations because college romance really isn’t my jam and I’ve been slumpy, but I really loved it.

If you enjoy possessive and protective + hurt/comfort, then you really should read this book. It was totally OTT and dramatic at times, but it was done so well. Plenty of cliché dialogue too, but somehow it made me smile instead of cringe:

“You’re… different than I thought.”
“So are you.”
“We still don’t fit.”
“Oh, baby, tell me the parts that don’t fit, and I’ll saw them off so we do.”

I’ve really missed reading romance books with this vibe, honestly. Just completely obsessed with each other, don’t-you-dare-even-look-at-him, etc. They may be college students but they’ve got money and status and act more like wealthy CEOs sometimes, lol.

Overwhelmed, I didn’t look at him, instead pushing my face into his neck, wrapping my arms tight around his shoulders. “Good boy,” he praised softly. “Look how good you fit in my arms.” The backs of my eyes burned even though they were closed. “I fit?” I asked. His palm settled over my lower back to rub. “You fit so good.”

I absolutely cannot wait to start Coach’s book.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Misophonia
College romance
Swimmer MC
DJ MC
Piercings
‘Princess’
Hurt/comfort
Found family
Protectiveness
‘good boy’
First times
Cockwarming
Possessiveness
Auditory isability rep
Tattooed MC
Breeding kink
Drama and intrigue
Hurt/comfort
Needy touch-starved MC
Lots of praise
Only one jail cot
Passenger princess
Opposites attract
Bromance
Star-crossed lovers

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Underage drinking
On-page panic attacks
MCs arrested on page
Violence
Spending a night in jail
Sensory issues and anxiety
Explicit sexual content
Self harm (scratching skin)
Breeding kink
Verbal and emotional abuse by parents (past and present)
MC abandoned by parents (past)
Physical abuse by parent (past and present)
On-page dissociation
MC attacked and abducted
MC stabbing bad guy
Mild exhibitionism

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 20 and (assumed) 20/21
Series: Interconnected series
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 465
Happy ending: Yes


The shoulder my head rested against started to tremble, and I pulled back in time to see Matthew’s teeth flashing in the night. His smile was beautiful, and I was jealous of the dark for keeping some of it to itself.

Matthew was not small in size, but he was still my princess. Hidden away inside him was an unspoken desire to be manhandled and overpowered so he felt safe and protected. 

 Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

Like I took a miscalculated step or like I missed the last stair, I fell headfirst right into love with Hennessy Lang. Motherfucker.

Another utterly sweet and charming book by Miss Walker. I really loved that it explored what it can mean to be asexual, that it was a part of Jordan’s self-discovery. Their romance was stupid amounts of cute, and I loved all the short bus dates and all the side characters that were interested in their relationship too.

It’s not the full five stars only because this kinda rambling OTT humor doesn’t work for me personally, and it was a big part of the book. It was still really, really good, though.

As someone who finds themselves on the asexual spectrum, it was nice to read about characters who are equally mystified by sexual atttaction and who’ve also grown up wondering if they’re normal.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Asexual MCs
Socially awkward MC
Librarian MC
Nerdy MC
Strangers to friends to boyfriends
Professional hacker
Bus dates
Kisses & cuddles
Bonding over books

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Excessive use of profanity (especially about boning someone’s mother)
Harry Potter reference
Discussions of having sex when you don’t want to (in the past)
Disowned by parents for being gay (past)

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Yes, briefly
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
Main characters’ age: 26 and not specified
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 200
Happy ending: Yes


“All I want really big and rock-hard on a guy is his IQ, and what I consider to be hardcore porn is a picture of a guy reading a book with a hard cover. Soft-core porn is a paperback, and browsing Amazon is my version of PornHub, okay?”

“We see repeatedly, we’re told repeatedly, it’s shown, it’s implied, it’s blatant that sex equals love. That we’re not complete without it. That sexual intimacy is the pinnacle of all relationship goals.” 

 Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

And now I knew why I hadn’t wanted to do this. It would make it harder for me to pretend not to be a person.

Another banger! I can’t even explain how much I’m loving this series so far. There’s just a quality about it that really makes me feel nostalgic for I-don’t-even-know-what. The vibes are immaculate. Murderbot is unintentionally hilarious. The story is making me emotional. The exploration on the ethics of slavery + droids/sentient AI is so good. Just all of it. Can’t wait to continue.

Oh, and the fact that Murderbot would much rather rewatch his favorite show a thousand times than interact with anyone is deeply relatable.

Interacting meant talking, and eye contact. I could already feel my performance capacity dropping.

I must admit I think I missed some of the plot/didn’t quite understand in this one, but I still loved it, lol. Not the book’s fault I’m a touch dumb.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Series
Sentient android
Part machine/part ‘organic’
Sci-fi adventure
Space travel
Self-discovery
So very meta
Snarky robot banter
Socially awkward
‘eww, human emotions’
Exploring free will

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Themes of slavery
Themes of ethics related to AI and droids
Mention of past mass killing (MC, before becoming self-aware)
Graphic violence
Attempted murder of MC and SCs
Gun violence
Death of minor characters
Injured MC and SC

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: N/A
Other person drama: N/A
Breakup: N/A
POV: 1st person, single
Genre: Sci-fi adventure
Pairing: N/A
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
Main characters’ age: N/A
Series: Series
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 160
Happy ending: Open


I didn’t care what humans were doing to each other as long as I didn’t have to a) stop it or b) clean up after it.

So they made us smarter. The anxiety and depression were side effects.

Are all constructs so illogical? said the Asshole Research Transport with the immense processing capability whose metaphorical hand I had had to hold because it had become emotionally compromised by a fictional media serial.

Young humans can be impulsive. The trick is keeping them around long enough to become old humans. This is what my crew tells me and my own observations seem to confirm it. 

 Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

“There’s never been anyone else. No human, no angel, not in all the years past. How can there be when my soul is entwined with yours?”

I don’t know how but I don’t think I even knew this book existed, but once I found out I immediately started the audiobook. From the blurb and tropes you’d think the book is super angsty, but while it has a couple of sad moments, it really wasn’t bad.

I really enjoyed the concept and the way it was done and can definitely recommend it. N.R. Walker really can write anything, I’m sure of it.

“Humans still kill for their gods, only now they sacrifice other people’s children and not their own. They call it war, but it is still murder.”

I must admit I still don’t really understand why Nathaniel was resisting their bond for so long, even after finishing the book and hearing him explain. Guess he’s just a dumbass, lol. But not enough of a dumbass to make me dislike him properly, thankfully.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Fated mates
Angels
Paranormal romance
Working in heaven
Twin souls
Angels on earth
Fake relationship
Only one bed
Anxiety rep
Rejected mates
Virgin MCs
Pining
Slow burn
First times
Sexual exploration
Untouched orgasms

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
MC with anxiety
Alcohol consumption
On-page intoxication
Religious trauma
Minor details of past child sacrifice (off page)
Grief and guilt
Explicit sexual content
Crisis of faith
Gun violence
MCs held hostage in robbery
MC shot and killed on page (angel form survives)
Crisis of faith

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, multi
Genre: Paranormal romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: Thousands
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 258
Happy ending: Yes


“No. Nope. No. Absolutely not.” Nathaniel shook his head. “Actually, the enormity of the no I must insist upon should not be underestimated.”

Chasan and Nathaniel had to be together. That’s just how destiny worked. Except when Nathaniel refused.

“That there is no devil, no evil keeper of Hell that lurks and follows and lures people to evil. That the evil humans have attributed to Satan lurks within each of them. There is darkness in everyone. For some, it’s too big a beast to tame.”

The fate itself wasn’t cruel. The fact that Nathaniel didn’t want him was the very cruelest. 

 Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

I hate caring about stuff. But apparently once you start, you can’t just stop.

Yeah I’m gonna need the paperbacks for this series as a trophy on my shelves. It’s so much fun, and Murderbot is one of my new favorite characters. They’re super antisocial, can’t stand eye contact, emotions makes them go ‘eww’, yet they can’t stop bonding with random humans and helping them with their own life on the line, lol. Perfection. It’s also just written super well.

“Little bot,” seriously? (Somewhere there had to be a happy medium between being treated as a terrifying murder machine and being infantilized.)

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Antisocial android
Space travel
Scifi adventures
Action
Security unit android
Series
Rescue mission

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Gun violence
Physical violence
Injured SCs
Injured MC

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: N/A
Other person drama: N/A
Breakup: N/A
POV: 1st person, single
Genre: Scifi adventure
Pairing: N/A
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
Main characters’ age: Not specified
Series: Series
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 160
Happy ending: Open


(There needs to be an error code that means “I received your request but decided to ignore you.”)

I signaled Miki I would be withdrawing for one minute. I needed to have an emotion in private.