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booksafety's Reviews (586)
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
*insert amazing quote here* (I don’t have the ebook)
This is a prequel novella to the Kincaid Pack series (which I have not read, but now desperately want to), and it was really good. It’s obviously short and there’s a limit to how much development you can put in it, but it works really well with fated mates, in my opinion. The MCs had good chemistry so the instant attraction and fast feelings worked. It was cute and the characters were lovely.
I was lucky enough to get an audiobook ARC and thought Kirt Graves did a wonderful job as per usual.
I would have loved to see more shifter stuff, but it being a novella and some of the plot being about one MC struggling to shift, it makes sense that there wasn’t a lot.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Wolf shifter
Past trauma
Lion shifter
Fated mates
Age gap
Ridged peen
Fast feelings
Car shenanigans
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
References to past murder attempt on MC (off page, stabbing)
Emotional neglect (parents)
MC poisoned after past stabbing
Explicit sexual content
Medical procedure (on page)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Paranormal shifter romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile, no switching on page
Main characters’ age: 18 and 31
Series: Prequel to series, standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 122
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
*insert amazing quote here* (I don’t have the ebook)
This is a prequel novella to the Kincaid Pack series (which I have not read, but now desperately want to), and it was really good. It’s obviously short and there’s a limit to how much development you can put in it, but it works really well with fated mates, in my opinion. The MCs had good chemistry so the instant attraction and fast feelings worked. It was cute and the characters were lovely.
I was lucky enough to get an audiobook ARC and thought Kirt Graves did a wonderful job as per usual.
I would have loved to see more shifter stuff, but it being a novella and some of the plot being about one MC struggling to shift, it makes sense that there wasn’t a lot.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Wolf shifter
Past trauma
Lion shifter
Fated mates
Age gap
Ridged peen
Fast feelings
Car shenanigans
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
References to past murder attempt on MC (off page, stabbing)
Emotional neglect (parents)
MC poisoned after past stabbing
Explicit sexual content
Medical procedure (on page)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Paranormal shifter romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile, no switching on page
Main characters’ age: 18 and 31
Series: Prequel to series, standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 122
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
I wanted to capture the image and hold onto it forever, so on sad days and bad days, on dark dawn mornings when I wished the sun would never rise and the tides would never turn, I’d be able to picture Florian like this and feel his silver coursing through my veins.
Wow. My first Fearne Hill book, and yeah, wow. The writing is phenomenal. Absolutely beautiful. Consider me a fan. Grateful for the ARC.
This book was angsty, heartbreaking, had non-romanticized mental health representation, and created the most stunning visuals. It was like I was on the island with Charles and Florian, like I could walk around the little town and visit the shops and smell the sea. It was really special.
I’m still not actually sure I *like* Florian, but he is without a doubt a great character. Both MCs are flawed in lots of ways, but they’re also loving and caring. Florian is just a very different kind of character from my usuals. I do love that you can feel the difference in the characters’ cultures as well.
I stilled his hand with mine. “Good things come to boys who wait.” His sea-green eyes lit with mischief. “And in them.”
I was expecting it in some ways, but how everything went down was way heavier and angstier than I anticipated. I skimmed ahead to see how it would all pan out before I continued reading. I’m not sure I could’ve stopped. I very highly recommend this book.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mental health rep
Synaesthesia
Age gap
Hurt/comfort
Slow burn
French setting
French/british MCs
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Psychotic episode (on page)
Grief
Past loss of a parent (suicide, off page)
Homophobia
MC being admitted to psychiatric hospital (past and present)
Suicidal thoughts and ideation
Past electroconvulsive therapy
Family member with (assumed) dementia
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Florian is a flirty person, but no drama
Breakup: Yes, a few months apart
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 39 and late twenties
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 271
Any moment now, he was going to conclude I was several sandwiches short of a picnic. This conversation was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from ‘I see dead people’.
Guilt that I’d chosen pleasure over misery clawed at my mind and I pushed it aside.
Florian hadn’t bothered dressing, which was thoughtful of him.
My delicate Charles, with his fragile mind and tender kisses. With his silvers and greens and yes, I was here for all the scary fucking oranges and reds too. And the clinging, soul-sucking dark shadows. I wanted to feel everything with him. The love of course, and the fun sexy times. Putain, I wanted plenty of those. But I wanted the pain, too. The days when his skies clouded over, and his oceans turned grey and choppy. When his canvases were filled with ugly jagged lines or ripped to shreds before the paint had even dried. When he needed someone to hold him in their arms ready to catch his fall.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Merged review:
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
I wanted to capture the image and hold onto it forever, so on sad days and bad days, on dark dawn mornings when I wished the sun would never rise and the tides would never turn, I’d be able to picture Florian like this and feel his silver coursing through my veins.
Wow. My first Fearne Hill book, and yeah, wow. The writing is phenomenal. Absolutely beautiful. Consider me a fan. Grateful for the ARC.
This book was angsty, heartbreaking, had non-romanticized mental health representation, and created the most stunning visuals. It was like I was on the island with Charles and Florian, like I could walk around the little town and visit the shops and smell the sea. It was really special.
I’m still not actually sure I *like* Florian, but he is without a doubt a great character. Both MCs are flawed in lots of ways, but they’re also loving and caring. Florian is just a very different kind of character from my usuals. I do love that you can feel the difference in the characters’ cultures as well.
I stilled his hand with mine. “Good things come to boys who wait.” His sea-green eyes lit with mischief. “And in them.”
I was expecting it in some ways, but how everything went down was way heavier and angstier than I anticipated. I skimmed ahead to see how it would all pan out before I continued reading. I’m not sure I could’ve stopped. I very highly recommend this book.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mental health rep
Synaesthesia
Age gap
Hurt/comfort
Slow burn
French setting
French/british MCs
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Psychotic episode (on page)
Grief
Past loss of a parent (suicide, off page)
Homophobia
MC being admitted to psychiatric hospital (past and present)
Suicidal thoughts and ideation
Past electroconvulsive therapy
Family member with (assumed) dementia
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Florian is a flirty person, but no drama
Breakup: Yes, a few months apart
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 39 and late twenties
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 271
Any moment now, he was going to conclude I was several sandwiches short of a picnic. This conversation was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from ‘I see dead people’.
Guilt that I’d chosen pleasure over misery clawed at my mind and I pushed it aside.
Florian hadn’t bothered dressing, which was thoughtful of him.
My delicate Charles, with his fragile mind and tender kisses. With his silvers and greens and yes, I was here for all the scary fucking oranges and reds too. And the clinging, soul-sucking dark shadows. I wanted to feel everything with him. The love of course, and the fun sexy times. Putain, I wanted plenty of those. But I wanted the pain, too. The days when his skies clouded over, and his oceans turned grey and choppy. When his canvases were filled with ugly jagged lines or ripped to shreds before the paint had even dried. When he needed someone to hold him in their arms ready to catch his fall.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
I wanted to capture the image and hold onto it forever, so on sad days and bad days, on dark dawn mornings when I wished the sun would never rise and the tides would never turn, I’d be able to picture Florian like this and feel his silver coursing through my veins.
Wow. My first Fearne Hill book, and yeah, wow. The writing is phenomenal. Absolutely beautiful. Consider me a fan. Grateful for the ARC.
This book was angsty, heartbreaking, had non-romanticized mental health representation, and created the most stunning visuals. It was like I was on the island with Charles and Florian, like I could walk around the little town and visit the shops and smell the sea. It was really special.
I’m still not actually sure I *like* Florian, but he is without a doubt a great character. Both MCs are flawed in lots of ways, but they’re also loving and caring. Florian is just a very different kind of character from my usuals. I do love that you can feel the difference in the characters’ cultures as well.
I stilled his hand with mine. “Good things come to boys who wait.” His sea-green eyes lit with mischief. “And in them.”
I was expecting it in some ways, but how everything went down was way heavier and angstier than I anticipated. I skimmed ahead to see how it would all pan out before I continued reading. I’m not sure I could’ve stopped. I very highly recommend this book.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mental health rep
Synaesthesia
Age gap
Hurt/comfort
Slow burn
French setting
French/british MCs
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Psychotic episode (on page)
Grief
Past loss of a parent (suicide, off page)
Homophobia
MC being admitted to psychiatric hospital (past and present)
Suicidal thoughts and ideation
Past electroconvulsive therapy
Family member with (assumed) dementia
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Florian is a flirty person, but no drama
Breakup: Yes, a few months apart
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 39 and late twenties
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 271
Any moment now, he was going to conclude I was several sandwiches short of a picnic. This conversation was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from ‘I see dead people’.
Guilt that I’d chosen pleasure over misery clawed at my mind and I pushed it aside.
Florian hadn’t bothered dressing, which was thoughtful of him.
My delicate Charles, with his fragile mind and tender kisses. With his silvers and greens and yes, I was here for all the scary fucking oranges and reds too. And the clinging, soul-sucking dark shadows. I wanted to feel everything with him. The love of course, and the fun sexy times. Putain, I wanted plenty of those. But I wanted the pain, too. The days when his skies clouded over, and his oceans turned grey and choppy. When his canvases were filled with ugly jagged lines or ripped to shreds before the paint had even dried. When he needed someone to hold him in their arms ready to catch his fall.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Merged review:
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
I wanted to capture the image and hold onto it forever, so on sad days and bad days, on dark dawn mornings when I wished the sun would never rise and the tides would never turn, I’d be able to picture Florian like this and feel his silver coursing through my veins.
Wow. My first Fearne Hill book, and yeah, wow. The writing is phenomenal. Absolutely beautiful. Consider me a fan. Grateful for the ARC.
This book was angsty, heartbreaking, had non-romanticized mental health representation, and created the most stunning visuals. It was like I was on the island with Charles and Florian, like I could walk around the little town and visit the shops and smell the sea. It was really special.
I’m still not actually sure I *like* Florian, but he is without a doubt a great character. Both MCs are flawed in lots of ways, but they’re also loving and caring. Florian is just a very different kind of character from my usuals. I do love that you can feel the difference in the characters’ cultures as well.
I stilled his hand with mine. “Good things come to boys who wait.” His sea-green eyes lit with mischief. “And in them.”
I was expecting it in some ways, but how everything went down was way heavier and angstier than I anticipated. I skimmed ahead to see how it would all pan out before I continued reading. I’m not sure I could’ve stopped. I very highly recommend this book.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mental health rep
Synaesthesia
Age gap
Hurt/comfort
Slow burn
French setting
French/british MCs
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Psychotic episode (on page)
Grief
Past loss of a parent (suicide, off page)
Homophobia
MC being admitted to psychiatric hospital (past and present)
Suicidal thoughts and ideation
Past electroconvulsive therapy
Family member with (assumed) dementia
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Florian is a flirty person, but no drama
Breakup: Yes, a few months apart
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 39 and late twenties
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 271
Any moment now, he was going to conclude I was several sandwiches short of a picnic. This conversation was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from ‘I see dead people’.
Guilt that I’d chosen pleasure over misery clawed at my mind and I pushed it aside.
Florian hadn’t bothered dressing, which was thoughtful of him.
My delicate Charles, with his fragile mind and tender kisses. With his silvers and greens and yes, I was here for all the scary fucking oranges and reds too. And the clinging, soul-sucking dark shadows. I wanted to feel everything with him. The love of course, and the fun sexy times. Putain, I wanted plenty of those. But I wanted the pain, too. The days when his skies clouded over, and his oceans turned grey and choppy. When his canvases were filled with ugly jagged lines or ripped to shreds before the paint had even dried. When he needed someone to hold him in their arms ready to catch his fall.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“I told myself to keep things professional. I couldn’t help it. He does things to me. He triggers the flirty part of my brain.” “Your prefrontal whoretex?”
I was pleasantly surprised when the push and pull and ‘I’m no good in a relationship’ situation wasn’t dragged out forever when it seemed to be going that way. A. J. Truman can for sure write romcoms. I don’t tend to find that kind of deliberate humor very funny, but it’s still entertaining. Derek and Cary were very cute together.
I got on better with Cary the further into the book we got, even though I wanted to yell at him a time or two. In the beginning he totally gave me teenage high school girl saying ‘Oh my god, I’m soooo random!’ vibes. I lost count of how many times he and everyone else talked about how weird and quirky he was, lol. Which is fine, I love a quirky and awkward character as much as the next gal, but it felt a little forced.
I wish Jolene, Derek’s daughter, was a bigger part of the book. She was a sweet teenager and I sometimes forgot that Derek was a single dad.
Definitely well written and if you’ve previously enjoyed this author’s work I’m sure you’ll enjoy this as well. I certainly enjoyed seeing Charlie and Mitch from The Barkeep and the Bro again.
There was an issue with the audiobook where chapter 27 was missing and instead repeated an earlier chapter. Thankfully I had access to the ebook and could read the missing chapter there before continuing with the audiobook. Hopefully that will be fixed posthaste.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mild pining
Teenage crush
Fireman
Single dad
Widower
Friend’s brother
Romcom
First times
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Death of wife (off page, past)
Mentions of past forced outing
Mentions of past bullying
MC cheated on by wife (off page, past)
Anger (punching inanimate object)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 40 and (guessing) 42
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 285
“Welcome,” I said. “We’ll send you your pride flag in the mail.” “Is there a secret handshake?” “Only in the back rooms of certain clubs. I’m sure you’ll manage it well.”
“You’re so tight,” he said. Low-grade anxiety kept me permanently clenched, but I kept that tidbit to myself.
Fuck six-pack abs. The little belly Derek had was much sexier.
It was wild how fast I could go from cautious, normal Cary to a total cockmonster.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
“I told myself to keep things professional. I couldn’t help it. He does things to me. He triggers the flirty part of my brain.” “Your prefrontal whoretex?”
I was pleasantly surprised when the push and pull and ‘I’m no good in a relationship’ situation wasn’t dragged out forever when it seemed to be going that way. A. J. Truman can for sure write romcoms. I don’t tend to find that kind of deliberate humor very funny, but it’s still entertaining. Derek and Cary were very cute together.
I got on better with Cary the further into the book we got, even though I wanted to yell at him a time or two. In the beginning he totally gave me teenage high school girl saying ‘Oh my god, I’m soooo random!’ vibes. I lost count of how many times he and everyone else talked about how weird and quirky he was, lol. Which is fine, I love a quirky and awkward character as much as the next gal, but it felt a little forced.
I wish Jolene, Derek’s daughter, was a bigger part of the book. She was a sweet teenager and I sometimes forgot that Derek was a single dad.
Definitely well written and if you’ve previously enjoyed this author’s work I’m sure you’ll enjoy this as well. I certainly enjoyed seeing Charlie and Mitch from The Barkeep and the Bro again.
There was an issue with the audiobook where chapter 27 was missing and instead repeated an earlier chapter. Thankfully I had access to the ebook and could read the missing chapter there before continuing with the audiobook. Hopefully that will be fixed posthaste.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mild pining
Teenage crush
Fireman
Single dad
Widower
Friend’s brother
Romcom
First times
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Death of wife (off page, past)
Mentions of past forced outing
Mentions of past bullying
MC cheated on by wife (off page, past)
Anger (punching inanimate object)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 40 and (guessing) 42
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 285
“Welcome,” I said. “We’ll send you your pride flag in the mail.” “Is there a secret handshake?” “Only in the back rooms of certain clubs. I’m sure you’ll manage it well.”
“You’re so tight,” he said. Low-grade anxiety kept me permanently clenched, but I kept that tidbit to myself.
Fuck six-pack abs. The little belly Derek had was much sexier.
It was wild how fast I could go from cautious, normal Cary to a total cockmonster.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
The truth was he loved helping people. He loved connecting to them, diving into their minds and finding that one thing they so desperately wanted. He loved drawing the faces of their soulmates. He just wished he could do the same for himself.
This book sounded so interesting and I was really excited about listening to it. It is a wonderfully original story (as far as I know), and it was just as sad as I expected and then some. It has a happy ending, don’t get me wrong, but the story itself is nearly bittersweet. The idea of a world with soulmates but never being able to find yours is something I expect most of us can agree would be heartbreaking. The entire subject and the narrator’s performance just made me bawl.
Dorian is this generations ‘artist’ and draws other people’s soulmates. Sadly, because he is blind, he can’t ever draw his own soulmate. It’s a heartbreaking concept but a really beautiful love story. It’s fade to black/gray, which I don’t read a lot of, but I didn’t miss the spice with this one.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Sad and lonely MC
Disability rep
Blind MC
Cute dates
Size difference
Virgin MC
Fade to black/gray
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Abandoned by parent due to sibling with developmental disability
Ableism
Used by parents for monetary gain (mostly past)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Yes
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Assumed strict
Main characters’ age: 30 and not specified
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 183
It was only a dream, but sometimes, Dorian would reach out to him, smile at him, whisper something to him, and it made that dream seem more like a vision. A glimpse of the future waiting for them if they just allowed themselves to live it.
Dorian was fast asleep in seconds, but Hayden stayed awake for hours after he drifted off, basking in the feeling of being with him, feeling like he wasn’t holding just Dorian in his arms. He was holding the entire world.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
The truth was he loved helping people. He loved connecting to them, diving into their minds and finding that one thing they so desperately wanted. He loved drawing the faces of their soulmates. He just wished he could do the same for himself.
This book sounded so interesting and I was really excited about listening to it. It is a wonderfully original story (as far as I know), and it was just as sad as I expected and then some. It has a happy ending, don’t get me wrong, but the story itself is nearly bittersweet. The idea of a world with soulmates but never being able to find yours is something I expect most of us can agree would be heartbreaking. The entire subject and the narrator’s performance just made me bawl.
Dorian is this generations ‘artist’ and draws other people’s soulmates. Sadly, because he is blind, he can’t ever draw his own soulmate. It’s a heartbreaking concept but a really beautiful love story. It’s fade to black/gray, which I don’t read a lot of, but I didn’t miss the spice with this one.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Sad and lonely MC
Disability rep
Blind MC
Cute dates
Size difference
Virgin MC
Fade to black/gray
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Abandoned by parent due to sibling with developmental disability
Ableism
Used by parents for monetary gain (mostly past)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Yes
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Assumed strict
Main characters’ age: 30 and not specified
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 183
It was only a dream, but sometimes, Dorian would reach out to him, smile at him, whisper something to him, and it made that dream seem more like a vision. A glimpse of the future waiting for them if they just allowed themselves to live it.
Dorian was fast asleep in seconds, but Hayden stayed awake for hours after he drifted off, basking in the feeling of being with him, feeling like he wasn’t holding just Dorian in his arms. He was holding the entire world.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
Oof, this wasn’t for me. I will always be the first to say that I don’t like the manwhore trope, but books with that trope can be good too, if it’s done well. To me, this one wasn’t. It pretty much missed the whole way through. To be fair to the book and author I probably should’ve DNF’d earlier and moved on, but I kept hoping it would change.
It boils down to the fact that I don’t for a second buy these two together, and I wish Callie found someone else. Zeus is a manwhore, and we know this because it has been repeated over and over again through four books. I’m pretty sure boning anything with a pulse (not my words) is his only personality trait. Usually, the reformed manwhore has some reasoning for avoiding commitment like the plague, but it was really thin in this one, and he didn’t feel ‘reformed’ at all.
All of that is just my personal opinion of course and I expect most people will love this book. The action was entertaining and it was fun to see them solve the case, and I especially loved seeing more of Iris and Saint as they’re my favorite couple from the series. Where the book really loses me however, and made me uncomfortable, is how much it feels like Zeus is using and taking advantage of Callie.
Callie is *so* freaking vulnerable early on, and Zeus is well aware. Callie would do anything for someone to show him just a scrap of affection or care, and he desperately wants someone to love him and be there for him. Zeus has no intention of being that person, but he still sleeps with Callie. At one point Zeus even says he’s so turned on that he would even bone one of his teammates. Any hole would do, Callie just happened to be the one who turned him on.
By the epilogue, Callie is keeping a secret, and one of Zeus’ and the rest of the team’s first thoughts is that Callie might be cheating. I can’t believe in a happy ever after when all they went through still ends in no trust between them. I know people are allowed to have issues they need to work through, but damn.
If you loved this book and the characters, please just ignore my ramblings. Sometimes a book just doesn’t work for me, and this was one of them.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Private military group
Manwhore
Past trauma
Attention and touch starved MC
Found family
Romantic suspense
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
MC victim of domestic abuse (past)
Suicidal ideation/thoughts
Sex trafficking
MC offered drugs (doesn’t take any)
MCs forced by circumstances to have sex
Gun violence
Mentions of suicide by family member (past, minor details)
Brief mention of being disowned because of sexuality (past)
Explicit sexual content
Breath play/collaring
SC recounting death of best friend (past, minor details)
Torture of a side character (minor details)
Injured MC
Graphic violence
Severely injured MC
Gunshot wound
Mentions of surgery and induced coma
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Callie kisses one of Zeus’ teammates on a rescue mission. It’s about survival and there’s no emotion behind it.
Breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Romantic suspense
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 29/30 and not specified
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 317
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Oof, this wasn’t for me. I will always be the first to say that I don’t like the manwhore trope, but books with that trope can be good too, if it’s done well. To me, this one wasn’t. It pretty much missed the whole way through. To be fair to the book and author I probably should’ve DNF’d earlier and moved on, but I kept hoping it would change.
It boils down to the fact that I don’t for a second buy these two together, and I wish Callie found someone else. Zeus is a manwhore, and we know this because it has been repeated over and over again through four books. I’m pretty sure boning anything with a pulse (not my words) is his only personality trait. Usually, the reformed manwhore has some reasoning for avoiding commitment like the plague, but it was really thin in this one, and he didn’t feel ‘reformed’ at all.
All of that is just my personal opinion of course and I expect most people will love this book. The action was entertaining and it was fun to see them solve the case, and I especially loved seeing more of Iris and Saint as they’re my favorite couple from the series. Where the book really loses me however, and made me uncomfortable, is how much it feels like Zeus is using and taking advantage of Callie.
Callie is *so* freaking vulnerable early on, and Zeus is well aware. Callie would do anything for someone to show him just a scrap of affection or care, and he desperately wants someone to love him and be there for him. Zeus has no intention of being that person, but he still sleeps with Callie. At one point Zeus even says he’s so turned on that he would even bone one of his teammates. Any hole would do, Callie just happened to be the one who turned him on.
By the epilogue, Callie is keeping a secret, and one of Zeus’ and the rest of the team’s first thoughts is that Callie might be cheating. I can’t believe in a happy ever after when all they went through still ends in no trust between them. I know people are allowed to have issues they need to work through, but damn.
If you loved this book and the characters, please just ignore my ramblings. Sometimes a book just doesn’t work for me, and this was one of them.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Private military group
Manwhore
Past trauma
Attention and touch starved MC
Found family
Romantic suspense
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
MC victim of domestic abuse (past)
Suicidal ideation/thoughts
Sex trafficking
MC offered drugs (doesn’t take any)
MCs forced by circumstances to have sex
Gun violence
Mentions of suicide by family member (past, minor details)
Brief mention of being disowned because of sexuality (past)
Explicit sexual content
Breath play/collaring
SC recounting death of best friend (past, minor details)
Torture of a side character (minor details)
Injured MC
Graphic violence
Severely injured MC
Gunshot wound
Mentions of surgery and induced coma
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Callie kisses one of Zeus’ teammates on a rescue mission. It’s about survival and there’s no emotion behind it.
Breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Romantic suspense
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 29/30 and not specified
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 317
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
Was swooning a thing real people did? Or was it just something that happened to characters in books? Because I was ready to fall into this guy and have him carry me away.
Book 3, and I’m still having so much fun reading this series. There’s so much sweetness in the romance, a perfect amount of paranormal stuff going on, some action and also a good dose of funny stuff. I remember the warm and fuzzy feeling the first book in the series gave me, and this one was no different. I would gladly move to Willow Lake, and I can’t wait for Simon’s book.
I do wish the overarching plot for the series was touched on a little more in this book, because it did feel like it was mostly relationship centered. Which is fine, and it was still there, but I’m such a sucker for external action. I’m guessing there will be more in the next book.
Two of the characters I have been the most intrigued by through the first two books were Gage and Jake, so I got really excited when I found out they would be paired together. It definitely did not disappoint. Jake is the cutest and most charming little dude ever.
This series is low angst and loads of fun. Can definitely recommend.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Demon MC
Oracle MC
Found family
Supernatural
Small town
Virgin MC
Slight age gap
Slow burn
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Vomiting
Explicit sexual content
Mentions of human trafficking
Bomb explosion
Minor injury (MCs and SCs)
Death of family members (past)
Graphic violence and murder
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Paranormal romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 23 and nearly 2000
Pages: 356
I may not have ever had sex, but I knew what I wanted: I’d discovered porn in the last year. It’d been very educational.
A sharp pain sliced into my leg. “Ouch. What the—?” Paws was there, clawing on my shin to get my attention. “Lift me up,” he demanded. I still wasn’t entirely comfortable with my grandfather’s supposedly magical cat, but I did as he asked. I gathered him in my arms and hoisted him up. He was surprisingly heavy for being so small. “Don’t hold me like I’m a baby, for fuck’s sake,” he grumbled as he wiggled out of my arms to climb onto my shoulders. He sprawled behind my neck, stretching from one shoulder to the other like the world’s most uncomfortable scarf.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Was swooning a thing real people did? Or was it just something that happened to characters in books? Because I was ready to fall into this guy and have him carry me away.
Book 3, and I’m still having so much fun reading this series. There’s so much sweetness in the romance, a perfect amount of paranormal stuff going on, some action and also a good dose of funny stuff. I remember the warm and fuzzy feeling the first book in the series gave me, and this one was no different. I would gladly move to Willow Lake, and I can’t wait for Simon’s book.
I do wish the overarching plot for the series was touched on a little more in this book, because it did feel like it was mostly relationship centered. Which is fine, and it was still there, but I’m such a sucker for external action. I’m guessing there will be more in the next book.
Two of the characters I have been the most intrigued by through the first two books were Gage and Jake, so I got really excited when I found out they would be paired together. It definitely did not disappoint. Jake is the cutest and most charming little dude ever.
This series is low angst and loads of fun. Can definitely recommend.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Demon MC
Oracle MC
Found family
Supernatural
Small town
Virgin MC
Slight age gap
Slow burn
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Vomiting
Explicit sexual content
Mentions of human trafficking
Bomb explosion
Minor injury (MCs and SCs)
Death of family members (past)
Graphic violence and murder
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Paranormal romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 23 and nearly 2000
Pages: 356
I may not have ever had sex, but I knew what I wanted: I’d discovered porn in the last year. It’d been very educational.
A sharp pain sliced into my leg. “Ouch. What the—?” Paws was there, clawing on my shin to get my attention. “Lift me up,” he demanded. I still wasn’t entirely comfortable with my grandfather’s supposedly magical cat, but I did as he asked. I gathered him in my arms and hoisted him up. He was surprisingly heavy for being so small. “Don’t hold me like I’m a baby, for fuck’s sake,” he grumbled as he wiggled out of my arms to climb onto my shoulders. He sprawled behind my neck, stretching from one shoulder to the other like the world’s most uncomfortable scarf.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
I want kisses, the kind that you remember in old age.
This story was fun, a smidge unbelievable, and super sweet.
A couple of my friends both thought Pete was difficult to like in the very beginning, and although I totally understand why, I kinda liked him from the start. He is a bit of an idiot, but he never has bad intentions. Cameron is a very sweet man with a horrible (homophobic and racist) family. It’s amazing that he turned out to be a nice person, really. Although he is naive to the point of annoyance sometimes, lol.
I think I maybe wished the book was angstier, actually. It was building up to potentially major stuff going down a couple of times, but it was all resolved fairly pain free. The way it all went down fit the story and characters, don’t get me wrong, I was just in a mood for more chaos, lol.
I’m gonna preface this with saying that I don’t have OCD and I don’t personally know anyone who does (I do have personal experience with other mental health issues). While I thought the disorder was handled well and respectfully, the book did give me ‘magic peen’ vibes sometimes. Of course it’s possible that Pete being comfortable around Cameron helped him deal with his obsessive thoughts and compulsions, but maybe *too* much? Obviously there is no ‘right’ way to have/handle any mental health issues, but I would have appreciated it if some of Pete’s issues didn’t seem to be a non-issue because of Cam. Overall tho it was really good.
The book definitely has that ‘Dianna’ flair when it comes to humor. Made me laugh a handful of times.
“You passed out… with your cock hanging out,” he informs me between breaths, “like a horny lumberjack who got hit by a blow dart. It was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mental health rep
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Office romance
Virgin MC
First times
Sexual awakening
Grumpy/sunshine
Hurt/comfort
Age gap
Closeted MC
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Forced outing
Homophobic family
Racist family
Homophobic coworkers
Bigotry
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Hinting at vers, but no switching on page.
Main characters’ age: 25 and 35
Pages: 261
“Yeah and has more experience than me. You’re quite a bit older, so I figured—" “Thirty-five,” I clarify, so he’ll know ‘quite a bit’ was a poor choice of words for our ten-year difference. Except, instead of sounding abashed, he smiles and gestures to me like I agreed with him. “Yeah, exactly.”
He’s touch-starved, so heartbreakingly touch-starved that I don’t know how I didn’t notice it sooner. When his arms close tighter around me, I can’t help but wonder if I am, too.
We essentially just had a cock battle. Is that even a sexual practice?
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
I want kisses, the kind that you remember in old age.
This story was fun, a smidge unbelievable, and super sweet.
A couple of my friends both thought Pete was difficult to like in the very beginning, and although I totally understand why, I kinda liked him from the start. He is a bit of an idiot, but he never has bad intentions. Cameron is a very sweet man with a horrible (homophobic and racist) family. It’s amazing that he turned out to be a nice person, really. Although he is naive to the point of annoyance sometimes, lol.
I think I maybe wished the book was angstier, actually. It was building up to potentially major stuff going down a couple of times, but it was all resolved fairly pain free. The way it all went down fit the story and characters, don’t get me wrong, I was just in a mood for more chaos, lol.
I’m gonna preface this with saying that I don’t have OCD and I don’t personally know anyone who does (I do have personal experience with other mental health issues). While I thought the disorder was handled well and respectfully, the book did give me ‘magic peen’ vibes sometimes. Of course it’s possible that Pete being comfortable around Cameron helped him deal with his obsessive thoughts and compulsions, but maybe *too* much? Obviously there is no ‘right’ way to have/handle any mental health issues, but I would have appreciated it if some of Pete’s issues didn’t seem to be a non-issue because of Cam. Overall tho it was really good.
The book definitely has that ‘Dianna’ flair when it comes to humor. Made me laugh a handful of times.
“You passed out… with your cock hanging out,” he informs me between breaths, “like a horny lumberjack who got hit by a blow dart. It was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Mental health rep
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Office romance
Virgin MC
First times
Sexual awakening
Grumpy/sunshine
Hurt/comfort
Age gap
Closeted MC
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Forced outing
Homophobic family
Racist family
Homophobic coworkers
Bigotry
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Hinting at vers, but no switching on page.
Main characters’ age: 25 and 35
Pages: 261
“Yeah and has more experience than me. You’re quite a bit older, so I figured—" “Thirty-five,” I clarify, so he’ll know ‘quite a bit’ was a poor choice of words for our ten-year difference. Except, instead of sounding abashed, he smiles and gestures to me like I agreed with him. “Yeah, exactly.”
He’s touch-starved, so heartbreakingly touch-starved that I don’t know how I didn’t notice it sooner. When his arms close tighter around me, I can’t help but wonder if I am, too.
We essentially just had a cock battle. Is that even a sexual practice?
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
The world as I knew it seemed to be arse up, backwards, and inside out.
Not my favorite in the series, but still fun. There was *a lot* of tech and case details in this one, which I normally love, but it kinda just left me confused about the case for a bit, especially in the middle. The beginning and ending was more clear and held my interest.
The medical situation(s) was probably my favorite part as it felt very different, and Rowan and Flynn ended up having a cute relationship. I would’ve loved to see more of them together, but what we got was cute. It felt like a slow burn even though it wasn’t, because the first time they were intimate didn’t quite fit with the story and characters. This was mostly due to what I’ll call a ‘shift haze’, which is also why there’s a warning for dubious consent.
I still want to read the next book, but I was hoping for more in this one.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Urban fantasy
Shifter/human pairing
Tiger shifter
Police procedural
Hacker MC
‘Supernatural investigation & crime bureau’
Action and suspense
Lion shifter
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Injured MC
Extensive scarring
Body image issues
Explosions
Death of side characters
Dubious consent
Medical emergency
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Urban fantasy, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 24 and not specified
Pages: 274
While I was not-so-low-key obsessed with him—Vinnie called it stalking, but what-the-fuck-ever—Flynn Smythe held me captive and completely at his mercy.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
The world as I knew it seemed to be arse up, backwards, and inside out.
Not my favorite in the series, but still fun. There was *a lot* of tech and case details in this one, which I normally love, but it kinda just left me confused about the case for a bit, especially in the middle. The beginning and ending was more clear and held my interest.
The medical situation(s) was probably my favorite part as it felt very different, and Rowan and Flynn ended up having a cute relationship. I would’ve loved to see more of them together, but what we got was cute. It felt like a slow burn even though it wasn’t, because the first time they were intimate didn’t quite fit with the story and characters. This was mostly due to what I’ll call a ‘shift haze’, which is also why there’s a warning for dubious consent.
I still want to read the next book, but I was hoping for more in this one.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Urban fantasy
Shifter/human pairing
Tiger shifter
Police procedural
Hacker MC
‘Supernatural investigation & crime bureau’
Action and suspense
Lion shifter
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Injured MC
Extensive scarring
Body image issues
Explosions
Death of side characters
Dubious consent
Medical emergency
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Urban fantasy, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 24 and not specified
Pages: 274
While I was not-so-low-key obsessed with him—Vinnie called it stalking, but what-the-fuck-ever—Flynn Smythe held me captive and completely at his mercy.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
I hope you’re happy. I know you are. I hope you’re living. I have no doubt of that, either. I hope, sometimes, that you think of me like I think of you.
I knew this book was going to hurt my feelings, as it’s childhood best-friends-to-lovers with endless mutual pining. Even when prepared for it, it packed an emotional punch like few other romance books do. This book is beyond beautiful, and I think everyone should read it. You can tell the story is dear to the author’s heart.
Both main characters are beautiful and well developed, and it really was a joy to go on their journey with them, even if I cried through about 70% of the book. The term ‘hurts so good’ is more than apt for this story. Lucky is an amazing character, but Ellis will hold a special place in my heart for a long time. You’ll have to look far and wide to find a more loyal, loving and selfless character. The way my heart and body ached for him was unreal. Seriously, bring all the tissues.
I was ten years old when I met Lucky. I knew it then, and I know it now. He’s a firefly. Luminous and wild. He was never meant to be trapped. Not here and not with me.
Now for the smut. I have to say, calling it ‘smut’ or ‘spice’ feels almost disrespectful. Not because it wasn’t smutty or spicy, but because it was so much more than that. These characters had insane chemistry and intimacy, and one of the sex scenes was so intense and intimate that I had to take a breather and talk to my friend about it. You don’t see that a lot.
I’ve only read a couple Emmy Sanders books before this one, and even though the writing was amazing in those, To Catch a Firefly was on another level entirely. Couldn’t recommend it more, honestly.
I suppose, in the end, it doesn’t matter when things started to change. Because Lucky’s path has been set from the moment he came into my life. “I’m gonna get out of this town one day, El.” He never was mine to keep. No matter how much I wish it.
I’ve edited my rating down to 4 stars because the excessive OM stuff drags on for way too long for my comfort and made me feel awful on Ellis’ behalf. Still a beautiful book, but to me it was unnecessary and made it difficult to connect with Lucky.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Neurodivergent MC
Selective mutism
Mutual pining
Best friends to lovers
Adrenaline junkie MC
Size difference
Slow burn
Small town
Long distance friendship/relationship
Virgin MC
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Brief mention of miscarriage
Mild violence (past, on page)
Homophobia
Side character with multiple sclerosis
Themes of abandonment
Death of estranged parent (off page)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: The book spans 15 years, with most of it being in present day. Neither MC believed being together would ever happen, which results in Lucky being with other people (off and on page, but never detailed). In one ‘flashback’ chapter, Ellis sees Lucky with a previous hookup at a party, and there is some touching. He has casual hookups with a coworker in present day, but there are no feelings involved from Lucky. All of that stops as soon as things evolve with Ellis. The hookup later confesses that if could’ve developed feelings for Lucky.
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile (switch in bonus epilogue)
MC age: 25 and 25
Pages: 313
I wonder, when he’s done getting his picture, if he’ll be able to see the world spinning. I wonder how many more revolutions Lucky will be in mine.
Of course Lucky needs to leave. I’ve been foolish to hope otherwise for all these years. Just a foolish boy who didn’t want to grow up. Not if it meant saying goodbye.
But even if Lucky could ever look at me the way he looks at guys like Andrew, what good would it possibly do? It would only hurt more, in the end—having a taste, only to lose it. I’d rather never know. I think, maybe, this is all I’ll ever have. Because who else is going to take the time to understand me like Lucky?
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
I hope you’re happy. I know you are. I hope you’re living. I have no doubt of that, either. I hope, sometimes, that you think of me like I think of you.
I knew this book was going to hurt my feelings, as it’s childhood best-friends-to-lovers with endless mutual pining. Even when prepared for it, it packed an emotional punch like few other romance books do. This book is beyond beautiful, and I think everyone should read it. You can tell the story is dear to the author’s heart.
Both main characters are beautiful and well developed, and it really was a joy to go on their journey with them, even if I cried through about 70% of the book. The term ‘hurts so good’ is more than apt for this story. Lucky is an amazing character, but Ellis will hold a special place in my heart for a long time. You’ll have to look far and wide to find a more loyal, loving and selfless character. The way my heart and body ached for him was unreal. Seriously, bring all the tissues.
I was ten years old when I met Lucky. I knew it then, and I know it now. He’s a firefly. Luminous and wild. He was never meant to be trapped. Not here and not with me.
Now for the smut. I have to say, calling it ‘smut’ or ‘spice’ feels almost disrespectful. Not because it wasn’t smutty or spicy, but because it was so much more than that. These characters had insane chemistry and intimacy, and one of the sex scenes was so intense and intimate that I had to take a breather and talk to my friend about it. You don’t see that a lot.
I’ve only read a couple Emmy Sanders books before this one, and even though the writing was amazing in those, To Catch a Firefly was on another level entirely. Couldn’t recommend it more, honestly.
I suppose, in the end, it doesn’t matter when things started to change. Because Lucky’s path has been set from the moment he came into my life. “I’m gonna get out of this town one day, El.” He never was mine to keep. No matter how much I wish it.
I’ve edited my rating down to 4 stars because the excessive OM stuff drags on for way too long for my comfort and made me feel awful on Ellis’ behalf. Still a beautiful book, but to me it was unnecessary and made it difficult to connect with Lucky.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Neurodivergent MC
Selective mutism
Mutual pining
Best friends to lovers
Adrenaline junkie MC
Size difference
Slow burn
Small town
Long distance friendship/relationship
Virgin MC
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Brief mention of miscarriage
Mild violence (past, on page)
Homophobia
Side character with multiple sclerosis
Themes of abandonment
Death of estranged parent (off page)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: The book spans 15 years, with most of it being in present day. Neither MC believed being together would ever happen, which results in Lucky being with other people (off and on page, but never detailed). In one ‘flashback’ chapter, Ellis sees Lucky with a previous hookup at a party, and there is some touching. He has casual hookups with a coworker in present day, but there are no feelings involved from Lucky. All of that stops as soon as things evolve with Ellis. The hookup later confesses that if could’ve developed feelings for Lucky.
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile (switch in bonus epilogue)
MC age: 25 and 25
Pages: 313
I wonder, when he’s done getting his picture, if he’ll be able to see the world spinning. I wonder how many more revolutions Lucky will be in mine.
Of course Lucky needs to leave. I’ve been foolish to hope otherwise for all these years. Just a foolish boy who didn’t want to grow up. Not if it meant saying goodbye.
But even if Lucky could ever look at me the way he looks at guys like Andrew, what good would it possibly do? It would only hurt more, in the end—having a taste, only to lose it. I’d rather never know. I think, maybe, this is all I’ll ever have. Because who else is going to take the time to understand me like Lucky?
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
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Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“Girl, I am learning so much about you already! Bonding for the win! So tell me more about your roots, my all-American country boy?” Caleb bounced in his seat like an excitable poodle. Taz considered flinging open the car door and throwing himself into moving traffic.
Jay Leigh does it again. This series is becoming very dear to me. I absolutely adore the unique way the author uses multiple POV in all the books. It brings something new to the action, the political aspect, as well as the relationships we get to follow. Only one romance is the main focus for each book, but we still get to keep up with the other couples. It’s awesome, and also sometimes angsty. I think this was the angstiest book so far, at least to me, and I loved it so much.
“I expect you to listen to me if you want to be rewarded. I expect you to tell me when I do something wrong. And I expect you to keep calling me Daddy while you’re being such a good boy for me.”
Taz. Wow, what a character. I highlighted so much of his chapters. He is the most adorable, awesome, scrappy, angry asshole, who is also a complete sweetheart. I’m so glad he found his GI Joe. They might have only used the words in bed, but Luke is definitely a daddy at heart. He’s a caretaker through and through, and he wanted nothing more than to take care of Taz and make sure he was happy. They were beyond sweet together.
I couldn’t recommend this series more.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Ex marine
FBI agent
Technical analyst
Found family
Daddy kink (in bed)
Political thriller
Book 3
Romantic suspense
Coworkers
Past trauma
Age gap
Abusive home life
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Death of a side character
House fire
Severely injured MC
Mass/public shooting
Domestic abuse (parent)
Physical abuse
Verbal abuse
Emotional abuse
Past self-harm and scars (mentioned)
PTSD flashbacks
Alcohol abuse (side character)
Poverty
Food insecurity
Mention of the death of a spouse
Subversive homophobia
Right-wing extremist rhetoric
Explicit sexual content
References to past kidnapping and hostage situation
Death of antagonists past and current
Gun violence
Hospitalization
Mental health struggles
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, multiple POV
Genre: Romantic suspense, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 22 and 34
Pages: 311
Taz had learned two life lessons at a very early age. The first lesson was that it was very easy to avoid your problems if you absorbed yourself in someone else’s problems. The second lesson was that it was very easy to avoid people if you acted like an asshole. Therefore, Taz was pulling double duty as the most helpful asshole in the world […].
But every time Luke saw the doubts and fears on Taz’ face or noticed him shutting down, they sat together and communicated about it. Like adults. It was fucking bizarre.
“Instead of fighting against us, why don’t you give fighting for us a try? I’m not ready to give up on you. Are you ready to give up on me?” “Fuck you, that’s not fair.” Taz inhaled a shaky breath. “All’s fair in love and war, sweet thing, and I’ve seen enough war. Lemme see more love, eh?” “Oh my God, you even talk like shitty Hallmark cards. Why does that work?”
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
“Girl, I am learning so much about you already! Bonding for the win! So tell me more about your roots, my all-American country boy?” Caleb bounced in his seat like an excitable poodle. Taz considered flinging open the car door and throwing himself into moving traffic.
Jay Leigh does it again. This series is becoming very dear to me. I absolutely adore the unique way the author uses multiple POV in all the books. It brings something new to the action, the political aspect, as well as the relationships we get to follow. Only one romance is the main focus for each book, but we still get to keep up with the other couples. It’s awesome, and also sometimes angsty. I think this was the angstiest book so far, at least to me, and I loved it so much.
“I expect you to listen to me if you want to be rewarded. I expect you to tell me when I do something wrong. And I expect you to keep calling me Daddy while you’re being such a good boy for me.”
Taz. Wow, what a character. I highlighted so much of his chapters. He is the most adorable, awesome, scrappy, angry asshole, who is also a complete sweetheart. I’m so glad he found his GI Joe. They might have only used the words in bed, but Luke is definitely a daddy at heart. He’s a caretaker through and through, and he wanted nothing more than to take care of Taz and make sure he was happy. They were beyond sweet together.
I couldn’t recommend this series more.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Ex marine
FBI agent
Technical analyst
Found family
Daddy kink (in bed)
Political thriller
Book 3
Romantic suspense
Coworkers
Past trauma
Age gap
Abusive home life
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Death of a side character
House fire
Severely injured MC
Mass/public shooting
Domestic abuse (parent)
Physical abuse
Verbal abuse
Emotional abuse
Past self-harm and scars (mentioned)
PTSD flashbacks
Alcohol abuse (side character)
Poverty
Food insecurity
Mention of the death of a spouse
Subversive homophobia
Right-wing extremist rhetoric
Explicit sexual content
References to past kidnapping and hostage situation
Death of antagonists past and current
Gun violence
Hospitalization
Mental health struggles
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, multiple POV
Genre: Romantic suspense, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 22 and 34
Pages: 311
Taz had learned two life lessons at a very early age. The first lesson was that it was very easy to avoid your problems if you absorbed yourself in someone else’s problems. The second lesson was that it was very easy to avoid people if you acted like an asshole. Therefore, Taz was pulling double duty as the most helpful asshole in the world […].
But every time Luke saw the doubts and fears on Taz’ face or noticed him shutting down, they sat together and communicated about it. Like adults. It was fucking bizarre.
“Instead of fighting against us, why don’t you give fighting for us a try? I’m not ready to give up on you. Are you ready to give up on me?” “Fuck you, that’s not fair.” Taz inhaled a shaky breath. “All’s fair in love and war, sweet thing, and I’ve seen enough war. Lemme see more love, eh?” “Oh my God, you even talk like shitty Hallmark cards. Why does that work?”
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr