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booksafety's Reviews (586)
Book safety, content warnings and tropes down below.
The tip of his tongue stuck out as he concentrated on tying a knot in the slippery line using those big fingers. Jesus. Roman was a dork—but an incredibly hot one.
I don’t have a ton of thoughts on this, but my gosh I was thoroughly entertained and I pretty much read the entire thing in one sitting. It really hit the spot for me. It was really cute because of the innocent/naive/clueless Roman who had lived as a military K-9 up until two years ago. He had to learn how to be human, and let’s just say it was a slow process which led to some very funny and endearing moments. I laughed pretty hard when he experienced his first erection, panicked, and called his boss (the Sheriff), asking for help.
This was either going to become sexual in about two heartbeats or end up being the weirdest bro bonding experience ever.
The romance was cute, and I enjoyed the action-y parts a lot as well. It was also surprisingly emotional, and I cried a couple of times, to the surprise of absolutely no one. Very highly recommend if you enjoy shifter romance and a dash of law enforcement/police procedural stuff.
Matt thought about sex constantly! Roman only thought about it in the moments when he wasn't thinking about food. Which, admittedly, was still a lot.
I also thought the reasoning behind why some dogs were/became human shifters was really cool, sweet, and a little bit sad.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Dog shifter
Small town
Virgin MC
Forced proximity
Coworkers
Law enforcement
Slow burn
Coming out
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Mentions of military combat
Death of a loved one (past, some details)
Gun violence
Mentions of drugs
Explicit sexual content
Mentions of the death of family (past)
Homelessness (past)
Captivity
Grief
Gun shot wound
On-page killing
Graphic violence
Homophobia
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 3rd person, multiple POV
Genre: Contemporary shifter romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Not specified. No switching on page.
MCs age: Not specified.
Personal space was a concept it had taken his dog a long time to comprehend and sometimes he forgot.
"Can we not talk about my mother?" Beaufort asked Tim with an edge to his voice. "It's my day off. I'd like to let my ulcer rest today."
The tip of his tongue stuck out as he concentrated on tying a knot in the slippery line using those big fingers. Jesus. Roman was a dork—but an incredibly hot one.
I don’t have a ton of thoughts on this, but my gosh I was thoroughly entertained and I pretty much read the entire thing in one sitting. It really hit the spot for me. It was really cute because of the innocent/naive/clueless Roman who had lived as a military K-9 up until two years ago. He had to learn how to be human, and let’s just say it was a slow process which led to some very funny and endearing moments. I laughed pretty hard when he experienced his first erection, panicked, and called his boss (the Sheriff), asking for help.
This was either going to become sexual in about two heartbeats or end up being the weirdest bro bonding experience ever.
The romance was cute, and I enjoyed the action-y parts a lot as well. It was also surprisingly emotional, and I cried a couple of times, to the surprise of absolutely no one. Very highly recommend if you enjoy shifter romance and a dash of law enforcement/police procedural stuff.
Matt thought about sex constantly! Roman only thought about it in the moments when he wasn't thinking about food. Which, admittedly, was still a lot.
I also thought the reasoning behind why some dogs were/became human shifters was really cool, sweet, and a little bit sad.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Dog shifter
Small town
Virgin MC
Forced proximity
Coworkers
Law enforcement
Slow burn
Coming out
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Mentions of military combat
Death of a loved one (past, some details)
Gun violence
Mentions of drugs
Explicit sexual content
Mentions of the death of family (past)
Homelessness (past)
Captivity
Grief
Gun shot wound
On-page killing
Graphic violence
Homophobia
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 3rd person, multiple POV
Genre: Contemporary shifter romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Not specified. No switching on page.
MCs age: Not specified.
Personal space was a concept it had taken his dog a long time to comprehend and sometimes he forgot.
"Can we not talk about my mother?" Beaufort asked Tim with an edge to his voice. "It's my day off. I'd like to let my ulcer rest today."
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
He walks out of my closet and places his hands against my chest, looking up at me with his soft, brown puppy eyes, and I groan. I feel a shopping trip in my future.
I’m on my chaos-goblin bullshit as per usual, and had only read book 1 and 4 prior to this one. I enjoyed those books a lot though, and jumped on the chance of getting an ARC for this book. I definitely don’t regret that, as I had a lot of fun reading this. There is a lot that happens during this book, but it didn’t feel rushed or like it was too much. I thought the pacing was pretty well done. There’s a *lot* of side characters here, and I probably would’ve enjoyed it even more if I had any connection with all of them. However, I didn’t feel lost or like I was missing big pieces of the story for not having read the entire series.
“My sweet Jocelin. I utterly adore you.”
The thing I enjoyed the most about this book was the sweet and endearing romance. The cute dates, slow dancing in the kitchen, cooking food together, the casual intimacy (lots of kisses and casual touches), etc. It wasn’t all smooth sailing at all, but they both enjoyed being together, which was nice to read.
“[…] If you can’t rely on the people who love you when times are the bleakest, then what’s the point?”
I enjoyed both MCs a lot, which has been a rare thing for me lately. They were both flawed, sure, but they were still good people even if they messed up. I think this book was utterly charming at times.
I think this will be a strong 4.5 stars for me.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Fake dating
Best friend’s brother
Past trauma
French Canadian MC
Architect/lawyer
Size difference
Phone/FaceTime sex
Edging
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Anger issues
PTSD episodes
Sexual harassment
Explicit sexual content
Stabbing (side character)
Mentions of the murder of a parent
Injuries and hospitalization (side character)
Punching an inanimate object during emotional outburst
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: No switching on page
MCs age: 32 and 33
I spend half the time explaining what things are or why someone would even want whatever it is, and the other half telling him we don’t need whatever he’s picked up and to put it back where he found it. It’s like shopping with a five-year-old.
“For all the scowling you do to strangers, and all the grumbling you do about people, you’re the sweetest man I’ve ever met. […]”
He walks out of my closet and places his hands against my chest, looking up at me with his soft, brown puppy eyes, and I groan. I feel a shopping trip in my future.
I’m on my chaos-goblin bullshit as per usual, and had only read book 1 and 4 prior to this one. I enjoyed those books a lot though, and jumped on the chance of getting an ARC for this book. I definitely don’t regret that, as I had a lot of fun reading this. There is a lot that happens during this book, but it didn’t feel rushed or like it was too much. I thought the pacing was pretty well done. There’s a *lot* of side characters here, and I probably would’ve enjoyed it even more if I had any connection with all of them. However, I didn’t feel lost or like I was missing big pieces of the story for not having read the entire series.
“My sweet Jocelin. I utterly adore you.”
The thing I enjoyed the most about this book was the sweet and endearing romance. The cute dates, slow dancing in the kitchen, cooking food together, the casual intimacy (lots of kisses and casual touches), etc. It wasn’t all smooth sailing at all, but they both enjoyed being together, which was nice to read.
“[…] If you can’t rely on the people who love you when times are the bleakest, then what’s the point?”
I enjoyed both MCs a lot, which has been a rare thing for me lately. They were both flawed, sure, but they were still good people even if they messed up. I think this book was utterly charming at times.
I think this will be a strong 4.5 stars for me.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Fake dating
Best friend’s brother
Past trauma
French Canadian MC
Architect/lawyer
Size difference
Phone/FaceTime sex
Edging
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Anger issues
PTSD episodes
Sexual harassment
Explicit sexual content
Stabbing (side character)
Mentions of the murder of a parent
Injuries and hospitalization (side character)
Punching an inanimate object during emotional outburst
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: No switching on page
MCs age: 32 and 33
I spend half the time explaining what things are or why someone would even want whatever it is, and the other half telling him we don’t need whatever he’s picked up and to put it back where he found it. It’s like shopping with a five-year-old.
“For all the scowling you do to strangers, and all the grumbling you do about people, you’re the sweetest man I’ve ever met. […]”
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
His rough, hard exterior is tempered with tenderness when it comes to me. And there’s just something so attractive about that. Knowing he’s soft for only me.
I read and absolutely loved Cali Boy and Lost Boy, but I put off reading this book because of the friends with benefits element. I had *no* reason whatsoever to worry about it though. These boys only had eyes for each other and they were solid from the start. It just took them a little while to call it a relationship. So if you’re like me and don’t like FWB, you would probably be totally fine with this book.
“Make a funny face or something, for fuck’s sake. Or we could kiss.” “K-kiss?” I stutter, and I really don’t know why. I’ve never had a problem speaking articulately before.
There’s just something special about this series. I have loved every single MC in all three books, and the stories are super sweet, entertaining, hot as hell, at times suspenseful, and have a family element I really enjoy. Bad Boy is certainly no exception. I especially enjoyed how Lincoln is this bespectacled nerdy virgin who doesn’t swear, and he’s also a
His rough, hard exterior is tempered with tenderness when it comes to me. And there’s just something so attractive about that. Knowing he’s soft for only me.
I read and absolutely loved Cali Boy and Lost Boy, but I put off reading this book because of the friends with benefits element. I had *no* reason whatsoever to worry about it though. These boys only had eyes for each other and they were solid from the start. It just took them a little while to call it a relationship. So if you’re like me and don’t like FWB, you would probably be totally fine with this book.
“Make a funny face or something, for fuck’s sake. Or we could kiss.” “K-kiss?” I stutter, and I really don’t know why. I’ve never had a problem speaking articulately before.
There’s just something special about this series. I have loved every single MC in all three books, and the stories are super sweet, entertaining, hot as hell, at times suspenseful, and have a family element I really enjoy. Bad Boy is certainly no exception. I especially enjoyed how Lincoln is this bespectacled nerdy virgin who doesn’t swear, and he’s also a
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
It was risky to let hope grow too large, to allow it to take up a disproportionate space in his head, because if something went wrong this time, that flickering flame might go out forever.
I haven’t read too many books by Barbara Elsborg yet, but god do I want to. What I have read has been way beyond amazing, and this book will join The Making of Jonty Bloom as two of my top reads this year without a doubt. I don’t know how this author manages to do it, but the writing is simply brilliant. The dialogue is so organic and funny, and the banter actually feels like it fits the characters instead of being shoehorned in just for some comedic relief. There’s a sweet romance, top notch british humor, and nail-biting suspense. All of this without any of the other bits being sacrificed in quality.
Dominic didn’t try to kid himself that he’d ever find someone who was okay with what he’d done. Even if they said they were, he’d never be able to believe it.
I’ve noticed how a lot of readers keep asking for ‘lots and lots of spice’ lately, and while there’s nothing wrong with a properly smutty book, I tend to like a bit of story with my porn, lol. That’s not to say there’s no spice here. There is, and it’s really good. However, it really means something and it’s important for the characters individually and for the relationship, which I love seeing. The focus of this book is very much on learning to trust again, a second chance at life for both MCs (but for very different reasons), and how they find that in each other. I laughed and cried, and at one point I was at the edge of my seat because of the suspense.
He ran his hand over the space next to him and it was cold. Ren grabbed his phone, made a call and relaxed when he heard a phone ring in the other room. “Hi,” Dominic said. “Black coffee and two slices of toast, please.” “I’m only a few feet away. You could have shouted.”
I need to get started on more of this author’s books ASAP, because even though they can be angsty, the writing is too good to pass on. Very highly recommend.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Ex con
Second chance at life
Sarcastic MCs
Hurt/comfort
Past trauma
Healing after trauma
(There’s probably more possible tropes and tags, but it’s one of those books that can’t really be broken down to a couple tropes).
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Graphic violence
Stabbing
MC murdered his parents (graphically)
Explicit sexual content
Incarceration (16 years)
Attempted murder
Abusive parents
Psychiatric hospital stay
Child abuse* (past)
*sexual, emotional, physical
Rape (past)
Brief mentions of drug use (off page, past)
Abduction
⚠️⚠️⚠️ 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: 31 and 31
“I wanted them to know what it had been like for me all those years, how I’d started to die the first time they put their hands on me, how the pain never ended. I wanted them to feel what I’d suffered. The hurt and the fear, the betrayal. I hated myself because of them. I still do. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to change that.”
But if we let what happened in our past spoil our present and our future, then those who hurt us have won. I won’t let what my parents did define me. I am more than that. We both survived. We’re allowed to falter every now and again but we keep going.
“I’m not going to be happy unless we have a pool, a hot tub, a gym, a media room, a red room of pain, a sauna—” “Now I know you’re fibbing. You hate saunas.”
Dominic chuckled, pulled open the drawer at his side and pulled out lube. “I thought you were nuts when you put those tubes all over the flat,” Dominic whispered in Ren’s ear. “Now I think you’re brilliant.” “You haven’t found them all yet.” “I thought the guy reading the electricity meter had found the last one?” “No.”
It was risky to let hope grow too large, to allow it to take up a disproportionate space in his head, because if something went wrong this time, that flickering flame might go out forever.
I haven’t read too many books by Barbara Elsborg yet, but god do I want to. What I have read has been way beyond amazing, and this book will join The Making of Jonty Bloom as two of my top reads this year without a doubt. I don’t know how this author manages to do it, but the writing is simply brilliant. The dialogue is so organic and funny, and the banter actually feels like it fits the characters instead of being shoehorned in just for some comedic relief. There’s a sweet romance, top notch british humor, and nail-biting suspense. All of this without any of the other bits being sacrificed in quality.
Dominic didn’t try to kid himself that he’d ever find someone who was okay with what he’d done. Even if they said they were, he’d never be able to believe it.
I’ve noticed how a lot of readers keep asking for ‘lots and lots of spice’ lately, and while there’s nothing wrong with a properly smutty book, I tend to like a bit of story with my porn, lol. That’s not to say there’s no spice here. There is, and it’s really good. However, it really means something and it’s important for the characters individually and for the relationship, which I love seeing. The focus of this book is very much on learning to trust again, a second chance at life for both MCs (but for very different reasons), and how they find that in each other. I laughed and cried, and at one point I was at the edge of my seat because of the suspense.
He ran his hand over the space next to him and it was cold. Ren grabbed his phone, made a call and relaxed when he heard a phone ring in the other room. “Hi,” Dominic said. “Black coffee and two slices of toast, please.” “I’m only a few feet away. You could have shouted.”
I need to get started on more of this author’s books ASAP, because even though they can be angsty, the writing is too good to pass on. Very highly recommend.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Ex con
Second chance at life
Sarcastic MCs
Hurt/comfort
Past trauma
Healing after trauma
(There’s probably more possible tropes and tags, but it’s one of those books that can’t really be broken down to a couple tropes).
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Graphic violence
Stabbing
MC murdered his parents (graphically)
Explicit sexual content
Incarceration (16 years)
Attempted murder
Abusive parents
Psychiatric hospital stay
Child abuse* (past)
*sexual, emotional, physical
Rape (past)
Brief mentions of drug use (off page, past)
Abduction
⚠️⚠️⚠️ 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: 31 and 31
“I wanted them to know what it had been like for me all those years, how I’d started to die the first time they put their hands on me, how the pain never ended. I wanted them to feel what I’d suffered. The hurt and the fear, the betrayal. I hated myself because of them. I still do. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to change that.”
But if we let what happened in our past spoil our present and our future, then those who hurt us have won. I won’t let what my parents did define me. I am more than that. We both survived. We’re allowed to falter every now and again but we keep going.
“I’m not going to be happy unless we have a pool, a hot tub, a gym, a media room, a red room of pain, a sauna—” “Now I know you’re fibbing. You hate saunas.”
Dominic chuckled, pulled open the drawer at his side and pulled out lube. “I thought you were nuts when you put those tubes all over the flat,” Dominic whispered in Ren’s ear. “Now I think you’re brilliant.” “You haven’t found them all yet.” “I thought the guy reading the electricity meter had found the last one?” “No.”
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
“Living in the closet for thirty years can make it damned hard to trust your heart to another person, especially when the first man you gave it to handed it back. Don’t give up, Zee.”
3.5 stars rounded up
This is another one of those books that are really difficult to rate and review, because I know that objectively it’s really good, it just wasn’t right for me personally. There is no doubt that Jay Hogan can write a good book and characters with a lot of depth, but the tropes in this and the constant push and pull/back and forth really frustrated me.
I’d watched the man I’d been in love with fall for another man and then watched my arsehole father turn his back on me. I wasn’t sure I could take another hit so soon.
I likely wouldn’t have picked it up if I realized what the tropes were, because I generally don’t enjoy them much, and that is in no way the author’s fault. In spite of all of this though, it *is* well written, and there were several side characters I really enjoyed getting to know, as well as the MCs. The book also made me very emotional at times. I had a pretty strong connection with Zach after what happened in book 1, and that definitely continued in this book.
Of course, he’d skedaddled. The man was harder to pin down than a stray cat.
I would have to be made of stone to not notice the scorching chemistry, though. I may have wondered why the hell the MCs were even trying to be together a couple times, but there was no denying that they set the sheets (and walls!) on fire with their combustible chemistry.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Hurt/comfort
Enemies to lovers
Dog trainer/shepherd
Pilot
Small town
Friends with benefits
Push and pull
Age gap
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Grief
Mentions of the death of MCs child (past)
Medical emergency (stroke, side character)
Explicit sexual content
Mentions of excessive drinking (past)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: Luke goes for a drink with someone else. Nothing happens. Before MCs get together.
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, single POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
This was Luke. Luke would find a way to top from the bottom if he was the bloody Titanic.
He was also beautiful in that way men had when they had no idea how truly lovely they were.
Crushing on the best mate of my ex-husband’s new man was way too fucking complicated even for me.
“Living in the closet for thirty years can make it damned hard to trust your heart to another person, especially when the first man you gave it to handed it back. Don’t give up, Zee.”
3.5 stars rounded up
This is another one of those books that are really difficult to rate and review, because I know that objectively it’s really good, it just wasn’t right for me personally. There is no doubt that Jay Hogan can write a good book and characters with a lot of depth, but the tropes in this and the constant push and pull/back and forth really frustrated me.
I’d watched the man I’d been in love with fall for another man and then watched my arsehole father turn his back on me. I wasn’t sure I could take another hit so soon.
I likely wouldn’t have picked it up if I realized what the tropes were, because I generally don’t enjoy them much, and that is in no way the author’s fault. In spite of all of this though, it *is* well written, and there were several side characters I really enjoyed getting to know, as well as the MCs. The book also made me very emotional at times. I had a pretty strong connection with Zach after what happened in book 1, and that definitely continued in this book.
Of course, he’d skedaddled. The man was harder to pin down than a stray cat.
I would have to be made of stone to not notice the scorching chemistry, though. I may have wondered why the hell the MCs were even trying to be together a couple times, but there was no denying that they set the sheets (and walls!) on fire with their combustible chemistry.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Hurt/comfort
Enemies to lovers
Dog trainer/shepherd
Pilot
Small town
Friends with benefits
Push and pull
Age gap
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Grief
Mentions of the death of MCs child (past)
Medical emergency (stroke, side character)
Explicit sexual content
Mentions of excessive drinking (past)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: Luke goes for a drink with someone else. Nothing happens. Before MCs get together.
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, single POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
This was Luke. Luke would find a way to top from the bottom if he was the bloody Titanic.
He was also beautiful in that way men had when they had no idea how truly lovely they were.
Crushing on the best mate of my ex-husband’s new man was way too fucking complicated even for me.
Book safety, content warnings and tropes down below.
“[…] Do you have a dream, Riv?” He had to, didn’t he? It was human nature to want something, to want more. He shook his head. “Nah, I don’t really think that way. Easier not to get let down if you don’t allow yourself to dream.”
Some of this was okay, but most of it wasn’t for me. The plot itself and the premise of the whole book is good and was really promising. No doubt about that. I also thought Parrish was amazing in the beginning. I didn’t like Riven much, though. He was dealt a shit hand (even more so than the others in their small town), and even though I felt sympathy for him, he wasn’t easy to like (to me anyway, for reasons). He did deserve a second chance, and I’m glad he ended up with Parrish. His love for his grandma and Parrish showed that he wasn’t a totally bad person, but I didn’t necessarily *like* him. Even the grandma managed to annoy me a little, lol
He tasted like Riven. I didn’t know how to explain it other than that—maybe broken dreams fused together by the hope I tried to feed him.
I do wish there was less focus on a certain side character, as even though she didn’t deserve all the horrible treatment she got, she was experiencing the consequences of her actions, and my unforgiving ass couldn’t help but feel annoyed when people made excuses for her. There was no need for that much of the story to be focused on her.
I wanted to be those things for him that he never had, for him to be able to depend on me, to lean on me, have someone who would always have his back and fight like hell so nothing would hurt him.
One thing I didn’t expect from this book was to dislike the smut so much. The dirty talk and wording used was very ‘dudebro’, and made me cringe while reading. Very unsexy. This is obviously massively subjective, but using ‘cummy’ as an adjective (more than once), ‘finger-banging’, and five variations of ‘busting a nut’, all unironically, is more than I can ignore, lol. I will say I ended up laughing a lot when an orgasm was described as ‘motivated’.
I enjoyed the premise, but the seriousness of it all was kinda lost on me because of the copious amount of awkward and unnatural dirty talk.
“You called me baby.” His head was leaning back against the headrest, and he turned it toward me. “No I didn’t.”
“Yes you did.”
“Shut up.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Ex-best friend’s brother
Small town
Ex con
Enemies to lovers
Coworkers
Forced proximity
Childhood crush
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Drug use
Mentions of drug dealing
Mentions of incarceration
Betrayal
Graphic violence
Crime
Death of a side character (on page)
Explicit sexual content
Gun violence
Graphic injury
Manslaughter
⚠️⚠️⚠️ 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
MCs age: 31 and 29
“[…] Do you have a dream, Riv?” He had to, didn’t he? It was human nature to want something, to want more. He shook his head. “Nah, I don’t really think that way. Easier not to get let down if you don’t allow yourself to dream.”
Some of this was okay, but most of it wasn’t for me. The plot itself and the premise of the whole book is good and was really promising. No doubt about that. I also thought Parrish was amazing in the beginning. I didn’t like Riven much, though. He was dealt a shit hand (even more so than the others in their small town), and even though I felt sympathy for him, he wasn’t easy to like (to me anyway, for reasons). He did deserve a second chance, and I’m glad he ended up with Parrish. His love for his grandma and Parrish showed that he wasn’t a totally bad person, but I didn’t necessarily *like* him. Even the grandma managed to annoy me a little, lol
He tasted like Riven. I didn’t know how to explain it other than that—maybe broken dreams fused together by the hope I tried to feed him.
I do wish there was less focus on a certain side character, as even though she didn’t deserve all the horrible treatment she got, she was experiencing the consequences of her actions, and my unforgiving ass couldn’t help but feel annoyed when people made excuses for her. There was no need for that much of the story to be focused on her.
I wanted to be those things for him that he never had, for him to be able to depend on me, to lean on me, have someone who would always have his back and fight like hell so nothing would hurt him.
One thing I didn’t expect from this book was to dislike the smut so much. The dirty talk and wording used was very ‘dudebro’, and made me cringe while reading. Very unsexy. This is obviously massively subjective, but using ‘cummy’ as an adjective (more than once), ‘finger-banging’, and five variations of ‘busting a nut’, all unironically, is more than I can ignore, lol. I will say I ended up laughing a lot when an orgasm was described as ‘motivated’.
I enjoyed the premise, but the seriousness of it all was kinda lost on me because of the copious amount of awkward and unnatural dirty talk.
“You called me baby.” His head was leaning back against the headrest, and he turned it toward me. “No I didn’t.”
“Yes you did.”
“Shut up.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Ex-best friend’s brother
Small town
Ex con
Enemies to lovers
Coworkers
Forced proximity
Childhood crush
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Drug use
Mentions of drug dealing
Mentions of incarceration
Betrayal
Graphic violence
Crime
Death of a side character (on page)
Explicit sexual content
Gun violence
Graphic injury
Manslaughter
⚠️⚠️⚠️ 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
MCs age: 31 and 29
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
Sam pouted and Carson knew if he wasn’t careful, his beautiful boy would have him wrapped around his finger soon enough.
I kinda forgot to write this review for a while, so I might be a little short on thoughts. I was really excited about this book after reading the first one in the series, Coffee & Kisses. Although I didn’t love this *as* much, I still enjoyed it a lot. It definitely had some hurt/comfort vibes (which I always enjoy), but in this one, the Daddy needed some comfort as well, which I think is a lovely change from the ‘norm’.
Leaning forward, Carson kissed Sam sweetly like he hadn’t just ravaged Sam like a madman.
The Little, Sam, is a precious and fabulous character. He is very capable and independent when he’s big, and he loves hosting fancy tea parties when he’s Little. Little or Big though, he’s always well-dressed, often in cute skirts and blouses, or even dresses. The other MC is super encouraging and supportive, and you just love to see it. It has quite a large age gap (would have to check for specifics), but I think it was closing in on 30 years. That’s usually pushing my limit on age gaps pretty hard, but it was hardly mentioned and it really didn’t *feel* like that many years. Do with that what you will, lol.
I would recommend reading book 1 first, but probably not strictly necessary.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Age gap
Age regression
Daddy/little
ABDL (no wetting)
Law enforcement
Found family
Femme MC
Cockwarming
A daddy with an oral fixation
Hurt/comfort
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Death of a partner (past, some details)
Mentions of drug overdose leading to death
Mild somnophilia
Explicit sexual content
Religious bigotry
Homophobic parents
ABDL (no wetting)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ 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
MCs age: 20s and 50s
That was it? He’d been hit in the face with a gun and all he got was some pain pills and sent home? That was anticlimactic.
Caden was growing more confident every day with the support of Lincoln, but his trauma didn’t go away just because he was happy.
Sam pouted and Carson knew if he wasn’t careful, his beautiful boy would have him wrapped around his finger soon enough.
I kinda forgot to write this review for a while, so I might be a little short on thoughts. I was really excited about this book after reading the first one in the series, Coffee & Kisses. Although I didn’t love this *as* much, I still enjoyed it a lot. It definitely had some hurt/comfort vibes (which I always enjoy), but in this one, the Daddy needed some comfort as well, which I think is a lovely change from the ‘norm’.
Leaning forward, Carson kissed Sam sweetly like he hadn’t just ravaged Sam like a madman.
The Little, Sam, is a precious and fabulous character. He is very capable and independent when he’s big, and he loves hosting fancy tea parties when he’s Little. Little or Big though, he’s always well-dressed, often in cute skirts and blouses, or even dresses. The other MC is super encouraging and supportive, and you just love to see it. It has quite a large age gap (would have to check for specifics), but I think it was closing in on 30 years. That’s usually pushing my limit on age gaps pretty hard, but it was hardly mentioned and it really didn’t *feel* like that many years. Do with that what you will, lol.
I would recommend reading book 1 first, but probably not strictly necessary.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Age gap
Age regression
Daddy/little
ABDL (no wetting)
Law enforcement
Found family
Femme MC
Cockwarming
A daddy with an oral fixation
Hurt/comfort
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Death of a partner (past, some details)
Mentions of drug overdose leading to death
Mild somnophilia
Explicit sexual content
Religious bigotry
Homophobic parents
ABDL (no wetting)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ 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
MCs age: 20s and 50s
That was it? He’d been hit in the face with a gun and all he got was some pain pills and sent home? That was anticlimactic.
Caden was growing more confident every day with the support of Lincoln, but his trauma didn’t go away just because he was happy.
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
My mind replays him holding me. Brushing my hair. Calling me…baby. So infantile and irritating. Why would he call me that? God, I hope he calls me baby forever.
Aww, I really loved this. It’s been on my TBR for absolutely ages and I finally got around to it, and I definitely understand why everyone loves this. It’s a wonderful low angst love story with two beautiful characters. Sheldon was a hoot but Theo stole my heart. He is just the kindest, grumpiest man. He struggles with some insecurities related to his looks and weight, but I adored how Sheldon is so attracted to him *because* of how he looks, not in spite of it. I really appreciated how he was written as a plus size character. It was just a part of him, just fact, you know? But he was never reduced to being ‘just a fat person’.
My eyes dart between the fingerprints Delores left in my cake and Sheldon’s ass. I really do love cake.
Another thing that might seem small but really stood out to me and made me smile was how one of the character descriptions during the book included information about how she was a white lady. Just that little way of showing how it wasn’t just assumed that every character is white made me happy. That, as well as having a Jewish main character and side characters of all shapes and sizes and sexuality made it feel truly diverse.
There were a couple of moments where I felt certain something bad would happen and the angst would set in, but then they would let themselves be vulnerable and talk things through instead. It was lovely.
Being teased seems to bring Theo a sliver of pleasure, so I add “make Theo smile” to my mental to-do list of ways to make the world a better place.
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators did a fab job too.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Teacher MC
Size difference
Grumpy/sunshine
Military veteran
Mental health rep
Fake dating
Plus size MC
Femme MC
Gentle giant MC
Hurt/comfort
Jewish MC
Coworkers
Virgin MC
Facial
My mind replays him holding me. Brushing my hair. Calling me…baby. So infantile and irritating. Why would he call me that? God, I hope he calls me baby forever.
Aww, I really loved this. It’s been on my TBR for absolutely ages and I finally got around to it, and I definitely understand why everyone loves this. It’s a wonderful low angst love story with two beautiful characters. Sheldon was a hoot but Theo stole my heart. He is just the kindest, grumpiest man. He struggles with some insecurities related to his looks and weight, but I adored how Sheldon is so attracted to him *because* of how he looks, not in spite of it. I really appreciated how he was written as a plus size character. It was just a part of him, just fact, you know? But he was never reduced to being ‘just a fat person’.
My eyes dart between the fingerprints Delores left in my cake and Sheldon’s ass. I really do love cake.
Another thing that might seem small but really stood out to me and made me smile was how one of the character descriptions during the book included information about how she was a white lady. Just that little way of showing how it wasn’t just assumed that every character is white made me happy. That, as well as having a Jewish main character and side characters of all shapes and sizes and sexuality made it feel truly diverse.
There were a couple of moments where I felt certain something bad would happen and the angst would set in, but then they would let themselves be vulnerable and talk things through instead. It was lovely.
Being teased seems to bring Theo a sliver of pleasure, so I add “make Theo smile” to my mental to-do list of ways to make the world a better place.
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators did a fab job too.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Teacher MC
Size difference
Grumpy/sunshine
Military veteran
Mental health rep
Fake dating
Plus size MC
Femme MC
Gentle giant MC
Hurt/comfort
Jewish MC
Coworkers
Virgin MC
Facial
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
“[…] Be careful of dismissing something good just because you’re scared or because you’ve got some idea of how things should be, and this doesn’t fit.”
Yet another top notch book by Jay Hogan. This one nearly matched my love of Off Balance. Nearly. Emmett and Kai are very different, and at different places in their lives. It was a lot of fun watching them having cute little crushes on each other and try to pretend that they didn’t. They didn’t fool a single soul, lol. At some points their story was a little sad as well, as they both had issues to get past in order to make it work.
I might’ve found some balls at long last, but they were nowhere near hairy enough to face roughing it on the streets, not in a Vermont fall that seemed designed to freeze those fuckers right off you if you weren’t careful.
Emmett is a single dad, a widower, and closeted. Trying to get past all of that and date a man for the first time is difficult. It wasn’t made any easier by Tai’s manipulative and controlling ex doing a number on his head for years either.
I was also pretty damn sure he’d guessed I wasn’t straight. The drool marks on my chin were likely a dead giveaway.
Overall super sweet and funny characters, great side characters, and an exciting and engaging plot. Highly recommend.
“Have you lost your freaking mind? Keeping our hands off each other has about as much chance of success as me buying a flannel shirt, ever.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Veterinarian
Single dad
Widower
Awful ex
Closeted MC
Bisexual MC
Sassy MC
Femme MC
Small town
Found family
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Bi erasure
Homophobia
Animal surgery
Explicit sexual content
Manipulative and controlling ex
Sick and injured animals
Mentions of cheating ex (some details)
Death of a partner (off page, past, some details)
Death of a pet (off page, past, some details)
Mentions of car accident (past)
Violent encounter with ex boyfriend
Child running away (found safe)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: Ex shows up and causes drama, but the MC wants nothing to do with him.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
I glanced away and acted as . . . ungay as I could, which, let’s face it, was a complete waste of time so I glossed my lips instead.
And it had been a good morning in the clinic—no dramas, no anal gland expulsions, no floods, and only two scratches from an elderly cat that didn’t like the thermometer shoved up its are. I really couldn’t blame her. After all, prep was everything.
“[…] Be careful of dismissing something good just because you’re scared or because you’ve got some idea of how things should be, and this doesn’t fit.”
Yet another top notch book by Jay Hogan. This one nearly matched my love of Off Balance. Nearly. Emmett and Kai are very different, and at different places in their lives. It was a lot of fun watching them having cute little crushes on each other and try to pretend that they didn’t. They didn’t fool a single soul, lol. At some points their story was a little sad as well, as they both had issues to get past in order to make it work.
I might’ve found some balls at long last, but they were nowhere near hairy enough to face roughing it on the streets, not in a Vermont fall that seemed designed to freeze those fuckers right off you if you weren’t careful.
Emmett is a single dad, a widower, and closeted. Trying to get past all of that and date a man for the first time is difficult. It wasn’t made any easier by Tai’s manipulative and controlling ex doing a number on his head for years either.
I was also pretty damn sure he’d guessed I wasn’t straight. The drool marks on my chin were likely a dead giveaway.
Overall super sweet and funny characters, great side characters, and an exciting and engaging plot. Highly recommend.
“Have you lost your freaking mind? Keeping our hands off each other has about as much chance of success as me buying a flannel shirt, ever.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Veterinarian
Single dad
Widower
Awful ex
Closeted MC
Bisexual MC
Sassy MC
Femme MC
Small town
Found family
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Bi erasure
Homophobia
Animal surgery
Explicit sexual content
Manipulative and controlling ex
Sick and injured animals
Mentions of cheating ex (some details)
Death of a partner (off page, past, some details)
Death of a pet (off page, past, some details)
Mentions of car accident (past)
Violent encounter with ex boyfriend
Child running away (found safe)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: Ex shows up and causes drama, but the MC wants nothing to do with him.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
I glanced away and acted as . . . ungay as I could, which, let’s face it, was a complete waste of time so I glossed my lips instead.
And it had been a good morning in the clinic—no dramas, no anal gland expulsions, no floods, and only two scratches from an elderly cat that didn’t like the thermometer shoved up its are. I really couldn’t blame her. After all, prep was everything.
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
“I need to kiss you.” The way he says it, his voice lined with desperation makes my entire body tremble.
I don’t really know Nicole Dykes’s work well, so to me this just read like a Cora Rose book, which basically means it was funny, hot, and well written. The MCs were completely different, but both very likable. They felt like well-developed characters, and I was able to connect with both of them.
The label doesn’t matter to me anymore. All that matters is Damon and how he makes me feel. Incredible. That’s how.
They were kinda bad at communicating, which was a little frustrating. I mean, I don’t love talking about serious topics either, but there comes a point where it goes from understandable and goofy/funny to avoid talking by boinking, to being a little annoying. Although I will say, the ‘third-act conflict’ made sense, and I can see how it could pop up in a relationship where one person is a camboy.
Damon looks at me curiously, his cheeks a little flushed from the alcohol he’s had tonight, but his eyes seem clear. He’s not drunk. No, if anything, he’s fully aware. Of me. And he damn well should be. I licked his fingers. He’s mine.
I had a smile on my face through most of this book, and I laughed out loud several times. Tomas’s dad is a hoot. Absolute legend. I would definitely recommend this book.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” I admit. “When we’re together in the same room, and I can’t touch you, it drives me fucking crazy.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Neighbors
Bisexual awakening
Online sex work
House sitting
Femme MC
Friends to lovers
Opposites attract
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Sex work (no scenes with other people after the MCs meet)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: Almost.
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Atleast one MC is versatile. No switching on page.
Oh god. I know I drool when I sleep. I am not a cute snoozer. Drool and open mouth and probably snores. Bennet once said I sounded like a hog rooting for corn.
He brings people happiness and pleasure as far as I’m concerned. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Tomas pulls me forward and I’m bombarded by his two other sisters Tiegan and Tabitha before my eyes settle on his brother. Tarak. Too many T names if you ask me.
“I need to kiss you.” The way he says it, his voice lined with desperation makes my entire body tremble.
I don’t really know Nicole Dykes’s work well, so to me this just read like a Cora Rose book, which basically means it was funny, hot, and well written. The MCs were completely different, but both very likable. They felt like well-developed characters, and I was able to connect with both of them.
The label doesn’t matter to me anymore. All that matters is Damon and how he makes me feel. Incredible. That’s how.
They were kinda bad at communicating, which was a little frustrating. I mean, I don’t love talking about serious topics either, but there comes a point where it goes from understandable and goofy/funny to avoid talking by boinking, to being a little annoying. Although I will say, the ‘third-act conflict’ made sense, and I can see how it could pop up in a relationship where one person is a camboy.
Damon looks at me curiously, his cheeks a little flushed from the alcohol he’s had tonight, but his eyes seem clear. He’s not drunk. No, if anything, he’s fully aware. Of me. And he damn well should be. I licked his fingers. He’s mine.
I had a smile on my face through most of this book, and I laughed out loud several times. Tomas’s dad is a hoot. Absolute legend. I would definitely recommend this book.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” I admit. “When we’re together in the same room, and I can’t touch you, it drives me fucking crazy.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Neighbors
Bisexual awakening
Online sex work
House sitting
Femme MC
Friends to lovers
Opposites attract
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Sex work (no scenes with other people after the MCs meet)
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: Almost.
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Atleast one MC is versatile. No switching on page.
Oh god. I know I drool when I sleep. I am not a cute snoozer. Drool and open mouth and probably snores. Bennet once said I sounded like a hog rooting for corn.
He brings people happiness and pleasure as far as I’m concerned. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Tomas pulls me forward and I’m bombarded by his two other sisters Tiegan and Tabitha before my eyes settle on his brother. Tarak. Too many T names if you ask me.