Rating: 4 Stars Genre: Contemporary MM Romance Standalone/Series: Signs of Love #1 How I got this book: Bought A new person will enter your life in the early year, Leo. Look past any moments of frustration they might bring and laugh—this could be the start of a thriving friendship. Theo Wallace usually laughs at the horoscopes his mom sends. Still hung up on his ex-girlfriend and practically friendless, this one begs him to reconsider. Because a friendship that stuck, that thrived… Well, that would be a reason to leave past pains behind and look to the Bright Future. When his sister Leone challenges him to find her the perfect date for a spring wedding, Theo uses it as a chance to make new friends. Theo’s ex economics tutor and newest roommate Mr Jamie Cooper seems to be a possible and convenient match. Real convenient. Like written in the stars, convenient. All he has to do is make sure this Jamie is good enough. Could really be the one for her, and the friend for him. But watch out, Leo, the stars have a surprise in store… Oops - I wrote this review back in October after a re-read of this story but apparently, I completely forgot to post it.
I love this entire series, but since Leo Loves Aries is the first book in the series it holds a serious soft spot in my heart. Theo is cute, confident, charming and completely clueless... Mr. Jamie Cooper is suave, sophisticated and sexy... I absolutely adore this story. It's so refreshing to read a romance that stems from friendship, with no immediate sex being involved and it's nice to see the relationship develop naturally instead of instant lust - something that Anyta Sunday writes extremely well. Theo and Jamie are the perfect witty pair, I love their banter, their friendship, their misunderstandings and their compassion for each other. Theo felt his dimples deepen. “You’re so organized. No wonder I drove you up the wall.” A few seconds passed before Jamie responded. “That’s cute.” “What is?” “Your use of past tense.” The love scenes build on the underlying romance and connection between the two, making it a perfect combination of sweet and steamy. “And if I can’t swim?” “I swim for both of us.” I swim for both of us. Theo’s breath caught. This is definitely one of my favourite romance series and I love these innocent, clueless characters. Rating: 4 Stars Genre: Contemporary MM Romance Standalone/Series: Standalone How I got this book: Bought When physics grad student Fielding Monroe and skirt-chaser and football player Mick Colman become college housemates, they’re both in for a whole new education. Mick looks out for the absent-minded genius, and he helps Fielding clean up his appearance and discover all the silly pleasures his strict upbringing as a child prodigy denied him. They become best friends. When physics grad student Fielding Monroe and skirt-chaser and football player Mick Colman become college housemates, they’re both in for a whole new education. Mick looks out for the absent-minded genius, and he helps Fielding clean up his appearance and discover all the silly pleasures his strict upbringing as a child prodigy denied him. They become best friends. It’s all well and good until they run into a cheerleader who calls Mick the ‘best kisser on campus.’ Fielding has never been kissed, and he decides Mick and only Mick can teach him how it’s done. After all, the physics department’s Christmas party is coming up with its dreaded mistletoe. Fielding wants to impress his peers and look cool for once in his life. The thing about Fielding is, once he locks onto an idea, it’s almost impossible to get him to change his mind. And he just doesn't understand why his straight best friend would have a problem providing a little demonstration. Mick knows kissing is a dangerous game. If he gives in, it would take a miracle for the thing not to turn into a disaster. Then again, if the kissing lessons get out of hand they can always blame it on the mistletoe. This cold has me feeling pretty sorry for myself at the moment but since I can't sleep, I figured re-reading some of my favourite *comfort* stories would do the trick.
This book was actually an accidental re-read since I'd forgotten that I'd already read it back when I had my Kindle Unlimited subscription and so I bought it again and got a sense of deja vu pretty early on. However, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book. While it is very short (I read it in just over 2 hours), the characters have great chemistry, depth, and there's just enough plot to keep things interesting. The book really only features the two main characters, with very few and brief appearances from minor characters which works in its favour, keeping the story on track and the tension building throughout. I love how naive and clueless Fielding and Mick seem to be, Mick especially, but what I love most is how their relationship progresses with relatively little amounts of drama and angst. “I want you to teach me how to kiss,” Fielding said in his most arrogant voice. It came out as a demand, like Fetch me the lamp from the sideboard, wench. For me, this was the perfect, sweet as sugar, grin-inducing book that had me smiling despite the fact that I can only breathe through one nostril. If you're a fan of innocent, clueless characters and slow-burn romance reminiscent of Anyta Sunday, you'll love Blame it on the Mistletoe. Rating: 5 STARS! Genre: Contemporary MM Romance Standalone/Series: Bear, Otter, and the Kid #1 How I got this book: Bought (Audible) Three years ago, Bear McKenna’s mother took off for parts unknown with her new boyfriend, leaving Bear to raise his six-year-old brother Tyson, aka the Kid. Somehow they’ve muddled through, but since he’s totally devoted to the Kid, Bear isn’t actually doing much living—with a few exceptions, he’s retreated from the world, and he’s mostly okay with that. Until Otter comes home. Otter is Bear’s best friend’s older brother, and as they’ve done for their whole lives, Bear and Otter crash and collide in ways neither expect. This time, though, there’s nowhere to run from the depth of emotion between them. Bear still believes his place is as the Kid’s guardian, but he can’t help thinking there could be something more for him in the world... something or someone. TW: Abandonment and homophobia.
You'll have to forgive me for the poor quality of this post as I'm struggling with a stupid cold right now and my eyes really hurt. It's a little ironic that I started listening to this audiobook a few weeks back when I was sick and now I'm under the weather again just as I've finished it - I blame the crying and the emotional turmoil this book put me through. I've read a few of TJ Klune's books now and while his books always pack an emotional punch, I think the narrator, Sean Crisden, did a particularly fantastic job of bringing that emotion out through his voices for Bear, Otter and Ty. I also really liked his voice for Creed while I found Anna a tad annoying (both in character and voice). I'm not sure how authors like TJ Klune manage to pack so much emotion and pain into a book and yet still have the ability to make you laugh, even through the heartache you share with the characters. I haven't yet read a TJ Klune book that hasn't made me cry, or at least brought me very close to tears and Bear, Otter, and the Kid was no exception, I found myself sobbing into my pillow during certain scenes and then laughing out loud, usually at something Bear or Ty said, at others. Bear is a fantastic character. He has so many depths and I love the storm and earthquake imagery the author uses to illustrate his anxiety and fears. It's a theme that builds throughout the book and is a beautiful metaphor for his inner turmoil. Bear and Ty (the Kid) have a beautiful relationship and I love Ty's intelligent humour. The little eco-terrorist is my favourite character and so reminiscent of Artemis in The Bones Beneath My Skin. I love the way that TJ writes kids and I cannot wait for his upcoming book, The House in the Cerulean Sea for this very reason. Otter is also a wonderful character and his evolving relationship with Bear and his dedication to both Bear and the Kid is moving and powerful to behold. TJ has written a book containing so much pain (a lot of it via Bear's mother - god, I hate her) and this book had me holding my breath in so many places, just hoping and wishing that everything would work out (this author has a habit of being mean to his characters and readers!) but I'm going to spare you a spoiler and let you find that out for yourself. Overall, this is a book that I fell in love with, with characters that made me laugh and cry. It's a heavy book, but at the same time it's light and with love, laughter, and family at its core. If you love TJ Klune, if you love heartfelt, meaningful and emotional romances, this is the book for you. Rating: 2.5 Stars Genre: Contemporary Romance Standalone/Series: Devil's Rock #5 How I got this book: Bought Locked in with the town bad boy . . . Most women would be scared, but Gabriella’s only worried about resisting Cruz Walsh, who’s even hotter than he was back in high school. Cruz was wrongly accused of the high-profile crime for which he was imprisoned; Gabriella’s desperate for the scoop that will get her career off the ground and get her out of Sweet Hill, where everyone still remembers her as “Flabby Gabby.” Being stuck in a supply closet with Cruz is the perfect opportunity to land an interview. What Bri doesn’t count on is Cruz taking “up-close and personal” to a whole new level. If there’s a silver lining to the hell Cruz went through, it’s that losing his freedom put everything in perspective. Maybe starting over someplace new would be easier, but after years locked up, Cruz values his family—and his true friends—more than ever. So he’s back home, facing the gossip, dodging reporters . . . and face-to-face with Gabriella Rossi. They’ve both changed: Bri wants a story and Cruz just wants her. Another thing he’s learned? Don’t let a good thing slip away. TW: sexual assault, body image issues and anxiety.
So, this is it, I'm finally at the end of my Devil's Rock series binge and I'm kinda disappointed with how it ended - I just can't help but feel a little let down with this book. Maybe it was reading all the books in the series back to back but by this point I just feel bored (for want of a better word) with the same, repeating format. I swear there were even sections of text that were almost exactly the same in this story as in some of the previous ones. There was just no spark, no emotional connection between me and the book (and between the two main characters). I could barely stand the female MC, I found Gabriella really annoying, whiny and hypercritical at times. Cruz I did like, for the most part, but his character felt underdeveloped and just stuffed into the 'dark, brooding, misunderstood' type-cast mould that his character just felt really two dimensional. For me, there just wasn't much of a story here. Just lots of nonsensical back and forth between the two characters, and supporting characters who were just annoying and distracting. Overall, this book sadly just didn't do it for me but it doesn't mean that I love the other books in this series (or the author's other books) any less. Rating: 3.5 Stars Genre: Contemporary Romance Standalone/Series: Devil's Rock #4 How I got this book: Bought From the wrong side of the tracks and with most of her family in jail or dead, Piper Walsh is used to everyone in town thinking the worst about her. It doesn’t seem to matter that she’s worked hard to build a good life for herself. So she isn’t surprised that when she comes into contact with Sweet Hill’s wildly irresistible, arrogant sheriff, Hale Walters, they’re instant adversaries. Piper has nothing in common with the town golden-boy-turned-lawman—and she refuses to be a notch on his bedpost. Despite rumors, Hale avoids fooling around with the women of Sweet Hill, many of whom are hoping to get him to the altar. But staying out of Piper’s path is proving near impossible. The infuriating troublemaker clearly has no respect for his badge. As she continues to push his buttons, it becomes clear to Hale that he must either arrest Piper—or claim her as his own. TW: Rape, Drugging, Abuse, Predators.
So, it seems that I subconsciously decided to binge read this entire series. I'm going to blame that decision on the crappy, cold British weather we're having right now and my longing for a bit of heat. I wasn't disappointed. The fourth book in the Devil's Rock series focuses on Hale (Sweet Hill's Sheriff and all around golden boy) and Piper (the girl from the wrong side of the tracks with a dark secret) - tale as old as time, right? Truthfully, I didn't expect too much from this book but it pleasantly surprised me. Aside from the dialogue which felt a little stiff and unrealistic in places, the chemistry between Hale and Piper was great, especially as Hale is revealed to be a little more of a 'bad boy' than he first appears. Piper is funny, strong and confident and was the key to how invested I was in the outcome of this story. This book is a romance, can be read as a stand-alone (although I recommend that you do check out the rest of the series) and features a sweet HEA. As with the other books in this series the author does deal with some pretty dark themes and there are references to rape, abuse, murder and predatory behaviour. This is meant to be a dark and gritty romance series so bear that in mind if you do decide to give it a try. I loved the tension that was built between the two characters in this book and I devoured the whole thing in a couple of hours. If you're looking for a book to keep you warm on these cold autumn nights, the sizzling chemistry between Hale and Piper will certainly do the trick.
Lately, I don’t really feel as though I can still call myself a blogger since I’m barely doing it. As I’ve said so many times before, I do want to but other things keep taking precedence, so I’m going to cut it with the excuses and just do my best. So, without further ado, here’s my September Wrap Up! Don’t forget to let me know what books you read last month in the comments or on Twitter. You click on the title to see the full review, if there is one, or to visit GoodReads: Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff - Godsgrave was fantastic and a wonderful sequel to Nevernight. I absolutely adore the new characters introduced in this book and following the next leg in Mia's journey of revenge and blood was just as thrilling as book one. I can't wait to see how it all ends in Darkdawn! Happy for You by Anyta Sunday - I love this series and was lucky enough to receive a free ARC copy from the author. It's a great continuation to a series I can't get enough of and whilst this book was a little problematic for me, I still love Anyta's ability to write adorable characters and sweet, excruciating slow-burn romance. Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry - This book was lots of fun. The MC is a little ridiculous and hopeless but in the best way and with a real heart of gold. He's eighteen-years-old trying to find himself, struggling against the path set out for him by his parents and rebelling, without really meaning to. His life takes an unexpected turn when he gets tangled up with twenty-five-year-old Jai and things get even more hilarious. If you're looking for a low-angst, fun and easy read, you can't go wrong with Adulting 101. All Chained Up & Hell Breaks Loose by Sophie Jordan - I found myself in the mood for easy-to-read romance this week and dove back into some old favourites. I've read these two books a couple of times in the past and they were just as enjoyable the third time around. These books have strong heroines, sexy hero's and plenty of action and drama. I’ve also started (but not yet finished):
Bear, Otter and the Kid by T.J. Klune - I started listening to this on Audible the other week when I was sick. I love the narration and the characters, especially the kid who makes me laugh so much. I’m still listening to this one and am around 50% of the way through it. I love the way TJ writes, I haven’t been disappointed yet, and this book is shaping up to be another amazing read. Vengeful by V.E. Schwab – I started this but had to give up because I honestly couldn’t remember enough of Vicious and I just found myself feeling lost and confused. I guess I’m going to have to re-read Vicious before tackling Vengeful again. Fury on Fire by Sophie Jordan – Continuing with last month’s Devil’s Rock series by Sophie Jordan, I’ve started to read North’s story for the second time. Truthfully, it’s because I picked up book 4 for £2.50 and just got an itch to re-read the series. They’re quick, fun and packed full of heat. Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff – My partner has FINALLY finished reading this after stealing it from me a few weeks ago, so now it’s my turn to delve in and discover the end to Mia’s story. I’m only just about to start chapter two but it’s started thick in the middle of all the action at the end of Godsgrave and I am ready for answers! Frostheart by Jamie Littler - I spotted this on my last book shopping trip to Waterstones and thought it looked perfect to read to my 5-year-old. She loves books but still prefers lots of pictures and since this book is packed full of amazing illustrations, I figured it's the perfect segway towards the more traditional novel, and we're both having so much fun reading it! And that’s a wrap! Let me know your recommendations in the comments below and feel free to chat about any of the books above too! Until next time, happy reading! x |
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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