10/31/2023 0 Comments Ocean’s Echo by Everina MaxwellI absolutely loved Everina Maxwell’s first book, Winter’s Orbit, so I was a bit scared that my expectations would be too high for Ocean’s Echo. But I’m glad to say that even though the plot was a bit slower and more complicated, I really enjoyed Ocean’s Echo as well, and that I once again rooted for the amazing, fleshed out and somewhat morally grey characters! The author originally pitched this book as “like fake dating but with fake soulbonding, also both characters are in the space military”, which is such a spot on summary!
It’s not really a romance book, even though there is romance, but more of a sci-fi action book with romantic parts (including pining, friends to lovers and miscommunication but very little physical attraction) and a lot of space battles, mind control, military fraternization, betrayals, power imbalance and a very intriguing unique world building. In short, this book follows the selfish, immature, flirty, and walking disaster Tennalhin Halkana (Tennal), who is a neuromodified “reader” and part of the elite as a nephew of the Legislator. After one too many screw-ups, the Legislator forcibly conscripts him into the military, where he is placed into the care of Lieutenant Surit Yeni (Surit), a duty-bound soldier, “architect”, and the son of a notorious traitor general. Whereas Tennal can read minds, Surit can impose his will onto others, and he’s under orders to control Tennal by merging their minds. However, for various reasons, neither of them wants this sync, so they fake it and begin to plan for Tennal’s escape. But pretending to be synced means that they have to get to know each other deeply and despite their wish a bond and unwanted feelings start to grow… I enjoyed this book a lot, but I didn’t love it the way I did Winter’s Orbit. The romance didn’t have the same chemistry, and mostly took place inside the heads of Tennal and Surit. It was also complicated by the power dynamics of the mental sync plot. The overall plot was also quite complicated and dragged somewhat, compared to Winter’s Orbit. I would have loved to get more of the romance and maybe a little less of the political betrayals, strategic plot twists and complicated chaotic space navigations. But overall it was a great story with amazing characters to root for and I absolutely loved the crew and their group dynamics, snarky banter and neverfailing loyalty! Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Macmillan Author info: Everina Maxwell
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10/10/2023 0 Comments Peter Cabot Gets Lost by Cat SebastianThis second book in The Cabots series was even more cute and heartwarming than the first! I adored the main character Peter and the grumpy bantering between him and Caleb; the chemistry between them was absolutely sizzling! A truly wonderful enemies-to-lovers queer historical romance! On surface, Peter Cabot has everything. He comes from a wealthy, political family (quite a lot resembling the Kennedys), is good looking, with a bright future. But in fact, he loathes his father and dreads the life he’s expected to live when he leaves college.
Caleb Murphy on the other hand, has always struggled to make ends meet, has to rely upon charity and is quite bitter and grumpy about the hand he’s been given in life. Especially compared to privileged, spoiled Peter. But maybe, just maybe, they have more in common than they think? When circumstances make them spend a week together driving from Boston to Los Angeles sparks start to fly… I love Cat Sebastian’s queer historical stories (We Could Be So Good is one of my favorite books) and this one certainly didn’t disappoint either. Cat Sebastian creates the most wonderful, fleshed out characters, and has a way of writing that just pulls you in. I really appreciated that this second book in the series was a full-length one (even though it was a bit on the short side too), so that the characters had more time to develop and their relationship to slowly go from grumpy dislike to friends to something more. I also truly appreciate the authenticy in which Cat Sebastian describes the current time period (the 1960s in this case) and the fear and homophobia that queer people had to live with. Lovely first time exploration, learning to trust and being vulnerable. And the importance of being true to yourself! All in all, this was a highly enjoyable, adorable and heartwarming queer historical story. Highly recommended! Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Author links Author info: Cat Sebastian 10/10/2023 0 Comments Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat SebastianWhat a cute and heartwarming queer historical second chance romance! As always in stories written by Cat Sebastian, this novella had some truly wonderful characters, a swooning romance and the kind of authentic historical queer plot that I’ve come to love and expect from Cat Sebastian. I would perhaps have preferred for this to be a full-length novel instead of a novella, so the story and characters could have had some more developments and interactions, but all in all this was a highly enjoyable and wonderful read!
Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Author links Author info: Cat Sebastian 9/11/2023 0 Comments Stars and the Stage by D.N. BrynI adore D.N. Bryn’s unique, queer and hilarious vampire romances and was so happy to get an ARC of this new sub/dom second chance novella set in Los Angeles in the 90s! It’s a bit different than the other books in the Guides for Dating Vampires series as the characters are not the cinnamon roll precious disasters I’ve come to love in the series, nor did it have the cozy feels. But it was nevertheless an intriguing and highly entertaining read! This novella is something of a prequel to the Guides for Dating Vampires series, but can be read as a standalone. It takes place at a role play club that creates fantasies for vampire-human couples, where the transmasc/non-binary vampire Diego is working. Diego has finally found a new home and family and has regained their confidence, after having fled their hometown and the high school sweetheart who spurned their fangs a decade ago. Until said high school sweetheart, Maddox, turns up at the club to bid forgiveness and Diego decides to engage in a kink role play to find out Maddox’s true intentions.
I really enjoyed this story, even though it wasn’t as cozy and sweet as D.N. Bryn’s other books. I’m also not usually into kink or too much spice, but here it worked really well. (Just be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading this novella though, as some of the scenes are quite intense.) I rooted for all the characters, even though they were not the shy, awkward, gentle ones that I’ve come to expect in D.N. Bryn’s vampire universe. Diego was a completely other kind of character, with their confidence, self-worth and determination never to be betrayed or shunned ever again. I did miss the slow burn from the other books though, but that is probably mostly due to the short format that doesn’t allow for much time to explore the characters and their feelings for each other fully. But the switch from Diego pushing Maddox away to completely giving into the relationship felt a bit too quick and easy. But all in all, this was another highly entertaining story by D.N. Bryn full of unique characters and amazing representation, and an interesting premise with the role play club! Disclaimer: I received an eARC for free, but I am leaving my honest review. Many thanks to the author D.N. Bryn for the opportunity! Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Author links Add on Goodreads Author info: D.N. Bryn 8/20/2023 0 Comments The Unlikely Heir by Jax CalderRed, White & Royal Blue meets Boyfriend Material in this fluffy, sweet slow-burn MM romance between Britain’s first openly gay Prime Minister and the klutzy, adorkable and clueless American who unexpectedly becomes heir to the British throne. Callum is a sweet, but rather clumsy and clueless, supposedly straight guy who’s trying to figure his life out after having dropped out of university to work for an insurance call center. His dating life is a bit of a disaster as well, and he’s still mourning his mom. Said mom, who had a brief marriage with the fourth British prince, but who left Britain after the divorce with her son to do everything in her power to keep Callum away from the watchful eye of the British press. Being the eleventh in the succession order, it’s not like he’ll ever play any big role in the British monarchy anyway. Not until his misbehaving relatives are charged with a criminal offense and Callum suddenly leaps from obscurity to the new Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne.
Oliver Hartwell is the divorced Prime Minister who takes pity on the clumsy and awkward prince who is so clearly out of his element. But soon the innocent support messages evolve into so much more and become the highlight of Oliver’s day, together with feelings for the prince that may no longer be of the purely platonic kind… Soon they both realize that they might have something more than friendship going on, and Callum that he’s not as straight as he thought he was… which might explain his previous unsuccessful dating life. Jax Calder is one of my favorite authors (I absolutely love her books The Other Brother and Attractive Forces) a lot because of her relatable, lovable and wonderful characters who always are as far away from stereotype cliches as you can come. And just like in her other books, I immediately rooted for Oliver, who had so much depth and raw emotions. I could truly feel his pain after having being betrayed by his ex-husband, his loneliness, his childhood trauma and feeling of being rejected by his addicted mother. I loved the parts of the story that were told from his POV and how they let us see how his feelings for Callum develop. It was so wholesome. But, surprisingly for a Jax Calder book, the other characters fell a bit flat for me. The Queen felt very vague and more of a projection than a character that added to the story, and I never fully rooted for Callum. I can’t really explain why, but there was something about his clumsiness yet smartness and knowledge of everything that made him feel artificial and more of a construct than a real person. I also would have liked to have more focus on his bisexual awakening, which is usually one of my favorite tropes. But here it felt rushed and sadly not explored to its full potential. It was like Callum just accepted it without even mulling it over. I would have loved to see him dissect it all more and at least be a bit nervous about being with a man for the first time. So even though I truly wished for Oliver to be happy and get to be with his love, I found it a bit hard to be fully invested in his Callum’s romance. There were also some parts of the story that were just too unbelievable or silly. I won’t go into details, but there was a murder plot that just felt off and the whole part of Callum not being recognized as part of the royal family by anyone before he moved up the succession order felt a bit too far-fetched. But all in all, a sweet, cute and fluffy romcom, with a lot of hilarious moments, fun facts and an amazing gay Prime Minister to root for. Thank you to BookSirens for the free ARC of the book, which I have voluntarily reviewed. Rating: 3.5 stars rounding up to 4 Get your own copy: Amazon Add to Goodreads Author info: Jax Calder What a beautiful, heartbreaking, and important story! I loved the supportive family and friends, the art and culture, the character growth and how the main character Ander found their path in life and what really matters. Also, such a great non-binary representation! The story follows the Mexican-American nineteen year old Ander, who is about to start a new journey as an artist and leave his beloved San Antonio in Texas to attend a prestigious art school in Chigaco. But even though it’s clearly an opportunity of a lifetime and the ‘right’ thing to do, Ander has doubts and keeps stalling the move by taking on local projects and working at his family’s taqueria. There they meet the undocumented Mexican boy Santi, and things starts to fall into place. Like who they are, what matters in life, and the power of love.
“I’m with you. Through happiness and destruction.” It was light and fun with a super sweet love story, at the same time as it was heartbreaking and dealing with serious topics such as the constant fear of being found and detained by the ICE, the feeling of being put into a box as a ‘Mexican’ artist and only being seen as ‘authentic’ when limiting yourself to others expectations. It was a little slow in the beginning though. It took me a while to root for Ander, who felt a bit too naive and ignorant at first. And their instant interest in Santi was bordering to insta love. But then this marvelous story and all amazing, fleshed out, real characters just stole my heart. And broke it to pieces… All in all, this was a tender and emotional, sweet and adorable, empowering and heartbreaking story about love and finding a home. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Nowhere Bookshop Amazon Author info: Jonny Garza Villa Such a cute, comforting and hilarious historical queer YA romcom! Set in Camelot and with characters who are King Arthur decentants, but definitely not an Arthurian retelling but something completely different and gloriously queer! Found family is one of my favorite tropes, and this book has such a wonderful one with the Princess of England Gwen who is reluctantly betrothed to the King Arthur descendant Arthur, her bookworm brother Gabriel and maid Agnes, and Arthur’s servant and shenanigans partner Sidney and Gwen’s love interest the lady knight Bridget.
I loved the funny banter, the slow burn romances (yes, there’s both an f/f and a m/m romance!) and the sweet way this poked fun of the traditional heroic Arthurian legends. And Arthur’s and Sidney’s friendship was gold, I think I loved it the most, even more than the romantic relationships. The middle part was perhaps a bit slow, but the action-filled ending certainly made up for that! All in all, a very cute, fun and comforting read with fake dating, enemies to friends, self discovery and rewriting history. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Author links Author info: Lex Croucher 7/6/2023 0 Comments Season’s Change by Cait NaryThis was such a wonderful and emotional friends-to-lovers mm hockey romance with two amazing main characters to root for. I loved how this book had a different vibe than many other hockey romances, with an MC who suffered from anxiety and panic attacks that added extra layers to the forbidden love trope. Season’s Change follows the struggling and angst-ridden hockey player Olly Järvinen, who is trying to get his career back on track after a traumatic previous season and change of team, and the happy go lucky new rookie Benji Bryzinski, who wants to leave his trailer park upbringing and anger management issues behind and earn his place in the big leagues. Being roommates shouldn’t be a problem, but there is something about the other that keeps knocking them both off track.
I read this book in one sitting, it was so addictive and I rooted so much for all characters that I just couldn’t bear to put it down until the very end! It was such a perfect slow burn, forbidden romance, story with lots of depths and emotions. There was so much angst and fear of messing up, the struggle for Olly to hide his true self and not give into his feelings for Benji, and for Benji to not let his anger or feeling of always being the odd one out get the better of him. And on top of that, a bi awakening for Benji with all the new feelings for Olly he can’t even put a name to. There were also so many other amazing side characters, and wonderful friends and family relationships, but also toxic ones, like the relationship between Olly and his dad, and between Benji and his sister, and Olly’s homophobic and mean former teammates. So definitely a lot of emotions going on, and a very intense read! This is Cait Nary’s debut book, but there is no way you could have ever guessed that. The writing was beautiful and Cait did such a great job describing Olly’s loneliness and anxiety, and his longing for being able to show his true self. I loved how Olly and Benji had this instant connection, that slowly was allowed to blossom into something more as their relationship developed. I also loved the other teammates, especially Poiro, and hope that Cait Nary will continue the Trade Season series with a book in his POV. I had some issues with one of the scenes (not going into details in order to spoil anything, but if you read the book you’ll easily know which on I’m referring to) and it was perhaps a bit unbelievable how Benji was so not worried about what others might think, and how super anxious Olle could just go with the flow when he and Benji started fooling around. But those are my only minor complaints. All in all, this was a both heartwarming and heartbreaking story with a perfect balance of hockey and romance, fun banter, vulnerability, steam and sweetness. Highly recommended! Rating: 4.5 stars rounding up to 5 Get your own copy: Author links Author info: Cait Nary 6/26/2023 0 Comments Game Changer by Amy AislinAmy Aislin has done it again! Game Changer is another cute and heartwarming MM romance in the Vancouver Orcas series! The books in this series can be read as standalones, as each book focuses on one of the Shore cousins at a time, but I enjoy seeing the characters from the previous book as an extra bonus. This time, the main character is hockey player Blair Brawsiski, who has a scheduling problem with all his extra duties helping his various family members out. To facilitate his life, his coach, Matt Shore (from the first book in the series), arranges for his cousin Charlie Shore to help Blair as a PA. But the immediate attraction takes them both by surprise. Especially since Charlie has trust issues and dating his boss is a big no no…
This was such a sweet story! Blair and Charlie were both such wonderful, kind and adorable characters and they were the absolute perfect match for each other. I also loved all the lovely side characters with the family members and the teammates in the Orcas. There could perhaps have been a little more drama or suspense to make the story a bit more intense, but sometimes it’s alright with a book just being sweet and heartwarming! All in all, this was a great second book set in the intriguing Orcas universe, and I can’t wait to continue the series with Dorian’s story next! Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the free review copy and blog tour invitation! All opinions are my own and I’m leaving my honest review voluntarily. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Author links Author info: Amy Aislin This was such an adorable and cute gay romance story about startups, friendship and love! And pranks! It was a fast-paced, fun and sweet feelgood story that’s a perfect vacation read or cure to get you out of a reading slump. This story follows Ivy League college students Max and Aaron who cross path when Max gets hired to prank basketball star Aaron, but also ends up kind of destroying Aaron’s future career… Max is a hacker trying to launch a startup together with two of his best friends. To finance it he takes on prankster assignments. Aaron is an openly gay basketball star with a big heart who should hate the person who got him into the big mess but can’t help being intrigued by the ‘Underwear Thief’.
I really enjoyed this book and all its wonderful characters! I loved the startup squad with the mix of computer nerds, an environmental law student, and a badass female telling the obvious truths. I also loved cinnamon roll Aaron. I loved how sweet he was and how smart, yet clueless. I didn’t particularly like the way Max felt spoilt and selfish at times. It was like he became another person when he was with Aaron, so I loved their interaction, but not Max on his own as much. There were also some parts that were perhaps a bit too unrealistic, and quite a lot of plot holes. But these are just minor complaints. Overall, this was such an adorable and sweet romcom that made me smile and warmed my heart. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a light, easy and fun read with adorkable characters to root for! Thank you to Pride Book Tours for the ARC of the book, which I have voluntarily reviewed. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Amazon Add to Goodreads Author info: Abby Kaitz |
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September 2023
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