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In Good Spirits: An MMMM Christmas Daddy Romance
In Good Spirits: An MMMM Christmas Daddy Romance
Helen Juliet | 2024 | LGBTQ+, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
so much love from these men!
I was gifted my copy of this book.

Helen Juliet usually retells fairy tales, and a cracking job she has of those too! This is not a fairy tale, but a literary classic. And a cracking job she does of this too!

I have one minor niggle, and it really is just a personal preference.

First person
Present tense
AND
Multi point of view!

Now, if you follow my reviews you'll know I have dumped many MANY books that I discover are written this way. I will make no apologies for that, I know what I like and I will own it every time. I wasn't able to dump this one, as apart from this point I really enjoyed it!

Sai and Jude are married, and they have Tian as their third. It has been so for 3 years. But Tian looks at Evan and sees so much pain, he just wants to be such a good boy for him.

The established 3-way works best because of 2 rules: you always come home, and communication. I found the communication in this book between Tian, Jude and Sai was outstanding and it paved the way for all three men to find themselves attracted to Evan in ways they really didn't see coming.

I loved how things changed for them all over time. Sai found himself wanting to be looked after, even though he was the Daddy in the three way. Jude wanted to be a good boy for Daddy Evan, while he was a brat to Daddy Sai. And Tian? Well just was just gonna be the bestest little boy a Daddy could wish for. Evan changed too, settling his ghosts to rest, and letting someone else into his heart. Well, someones, plural.

It's incredibly well written, and well delivered. It pushes most of my buttons, (point already made!) and is Ms Juliet at her best. Sweet and so very smexy. But deeply emotional too. Mostly from Evan letting go of Beau.

I loved how I was able to slot this book along side the Dickens version, and even if he might be not be best pleased, I really loved it!

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Hunter's Desire (Dark Reserves #2)
Hunter's Desire (Dark Reserves #2)
C.S. Joyce | 2019 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
bloody LOVED this!
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Okay then!

Daddy kink has been very hit and miss for me, some okay, some good, but not ever so many being so bloody good, but this one??

So Bloody Good!!

Hunter is a Dom, through and through but is disillusioned with the scene and wants to step away. He wants to retire for the police force. He wants. . . . something else. Colsen is a train wreck waiting to happen, after the death of his mother, he is wracked with guilt for not answering the phone and now he has been suspended from work. The weekend in Vegas to celebrate his best friend's up-coming wedding is the last thing he needs but he won't let his friend down. Hunter and Colsen come together, and it's not a matter of if they will butt heads, it's purely a matter of when. Can what happens in Vegas really STAY in Vegas?

I think what makes this one work so well for ME was this was a Daddy/boy relationship, rather than a Daddy/little one. Yes, Hunter buys Lego kits for Colsen, but thats more to focus his mind on something else. And Hunter wasn't really a Daddy before Colsen, either. A Dom, yes, but not a Daddy. There is an age gap, yes, but Hunter is approaching 50 (much to his disgust!) and Colsen is in his 30's. They are both working their way through what they need from the other, even if they hate each other.

And they work through their way spectactularly! Heads butt, yes indeed, and fists almost, but what gets to Colsen the most? Words. Words Hunter says in a certain tone, that pushes all kinds of his buttons he didn't know needed pushing. I LOVED how much Colsen fought Hunter, I really did. It doesn't take much for Hunter to find out why Colson is drinking so much, and once he does, he changes tactics to get Colson. Because Hunter WANTS Colsen like he never wanted before, and Colsen will be his boy, even if only for the weekend in Vegas.

But they can't leave it in Vegas, and it is great reading when Colsen finds out what Hunter did, and when Hunter comes into Colsen's space for the first time, discovering he kept some things going.

I loved it, when they finally, FINALLY, admit those three little words to each other! Very in keeping with these guys, and I loved the little epilogue.

I was to go back and read Dan and Theo's story now, too. It's their wedding they are in Vegas to celebrate. I want to continue with this series too, some interesting characters!

It's been a while since I had a one sitting read, and this one just nailed it, for me.

5 sparkling Vegas stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
His Accidental Daddy
His Accidental Daddy
Luna David | 2020 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
so very nearly 5 stars!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Thornton runs into the side of Asher's car and neither man will ever be the same again. Thornton is a Daddy, and he wants Asher for his boy, but Asher doesn't have a clue about the lifestyle or what being a little means. Can Thornton make Asher see that he needs him, that they need each other?

I really REALLY enjoyed this book!

I've been struggling with a lot of reading at the moment, and to be honest, Daddy/littles haven't really been my thing but this one twanged something when I read the blurb, and I am so glad I gave it a go!

Poor Asher! He really is a wreck about most things, everyday things cause him into meltdowns and he is struggling just to function. Cue getting sideswiped in the rain, and Asher is losing it, big time. Then a voice cuts through the panic and Asher can just breathe (as much as fractured ribs will allow) and Asher falls hard and fast for Thornton.

Thornton, while feeling incredibly guilty for crashing his car into Asher's, feels a pull to Asher that he never felt before. Just seeing him in that wreck calls to his inner Daddy so far and so deeply, Thornton cannot resist. But Asher thinks he is damaged, and Thornton knows that isn't the case, he just needs to make Asher see.

I've tagged this BDSM but there is actually very little of the "usual" stuff, just some spanking, and talk about power exchange and a Dom/sub relationship that is in this book for Thornton's best friends.

It is HEAVY on the emotional side of things though, and I think that's what carried me through, watching Asher get out of his head, and into his little for his Daddy. Thornton's emotions are all over the place too, but I didn't feel them as deeply as I did Asher's.

It is also incredibly SWEET in places, hence the warm and fuzzies tag.

Both voices are clear and you really do get into Asher's head when he starts to meltdown. Very well written scenes when Asher loses it and Thornton brings him back.

I'm interested in reading about Damian and Syed (the D/s relationship here), Thornton's best friends, but MORE so about another pairing that blossomed towards the end of this book. Madi, who is Asher's best friend, and Trent, who is Thornton's younger brother. That pairing would be a Mummy/little relationship, and I'm really rather curious about that one!

Not quite hitting those 5 stars, but so very nearly!

4 stars

**same worded review will appear elsehwere**
  
A Little Christmas: Terrence
A Little Christmas: Terrence
JP Sayle | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A LITTLE CHRISTMAS: TERRENCE is part of the A Little Christmas series and this one is by J.P. Sayle - a firm favourite author of mine. It seems that no matter the genre or trope, she manages to bring a story to life, making the reader care or dislike the characters as per her wishes. Terrence is no different.

From the very beginning, I was hooked by this book. From the gift fairy bringing a squishy, to the trauma of being discovered. My nerves were on tenterhooks, heart pounding, for poor Terrence. Although I was sorry for what happened to the rest of the staff, the maid who found Terrence didn't get a second thought. That was private and shouldn't have been shared by her with anyone, let alone slimy Jerry.

Warner was everything I wanted him to be. More importantly, he was everything Terrence needed him to be! Caring and nurturing, he supported Terrence and guided him, although Warner himself sometimes needed some guidance from Austin.

This was a gorgeous read, set over Christmastime but that didn't overpower the story between them. I really hope Austin has his own story. This sad Daddy needs a boy of his own. HIGHLY recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
A Brat for Kinkmas (Naughty or Nice Season Three)
A Brat for Kinkmas (Naughty or Nice Season Three)
JP Sayle | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
6
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
something missing but I don't know what!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarain, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is part of the Naughty or Nice season three series and can be read as a stand alone to all the other books.

I like my books heavier on the BDSM side, and I'm a fan of the Daddy/little dynamics. For the most part. But something about THIS book doesn't quite work for me, and I've no idea what! So, I'm just gonna leave it at that!

What I DID like, was that what Ziv does was never made fully clear! Oh the hints and clues are there, it says some legal and some not so, but never just WHAT, you know? I was expecting him to be some sort of super secret do-gooder! He's not, but he does throw his money about to get what he wants, and who he wants!

I love that we catch up with Patrick and Akker (Agrippa My Heart) and Jessie and Smithy( His Boy To Tease) The trio of friends are now happy with their Daddies, and all loved up, and I love that they are.

Steamy and smexy, but missing *something* but I don't know what!

3 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Little Treasure He Hides (Little Paws Haven #1)
Little Treasure He Hides (Little Paws Haven #1)
JP Sayle, Lisa Oliver | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
9.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Loved this!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is the first in a new series between this pair of authors, and by gosh, it's so good!

Gabai wasn't too impressive when he first meets Asher, but the big bear Daddy does redeem himself once he gets his head out his ass and realise just what Asher needs, not what Gabai does.

Asher's pain is so deep, you can almost taste it. Once we get the full story about why Ash (and I loved that Gabai shortened his name, but no one else could get away with that!) you can understand why he doesn't like to be touched, and just why he hates being called boy.

The way Gabai deals with the perpetrator of the damage to the club shows how much he cares about the Littles in his club, even if he can't be their chief hugger now Ash is about.

I loved that, once he gets Ash, Gabai lets Ash set the pace to bring his little out once more. The little steps are important, they start a big journey, and Ash and Gabai have a wonderful start to that journey now.

Lots of characters who need stories, there is bit at the end of this one for the next story, but I'm not sure if I put things together right so we'll wait, very impatiently, for the next book!

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Take It All
Take It All
Quin Perin | 2018 | Erotica, LGBTQ+
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
smut, in its most pure and beautiful form!
I was gifted my copy of this book direct from the authors, that I write a review was not required.

Quin and Perin write. smut. Pure and simple, down and dirty SMUT. If you don't like smut, steer clear cos let me tell ya, this here is one excellent SMUT book!

Now, I've decided that daddy kink really doesn't do anything for me, not really, but I did read The One With Daddy, since it's the first one in this little smut-fest. It's well written, but from only Dave's point of view. It's sexy, it's hot, HAWT, but it's not really my thang.

The One With The Politician, however, was right up my street! Again, told only from The Politician's point of view, it's all about him getting his rocks off since his wife ain't giving him what he really needs. And boy does he get them off! Hot, HOT HOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!

The One With The Jock? I need more of these two! I feel there is a longer story that they need to tell, a story out there, somewhere, in the minds of Quin and Perin and I hope they write it! Please write it!

Then there is a bonus read, that I also feel needs a longer drawn out tale! Reece and Elijah clearly have chemistry, even if they have yet to touch!

These four stories are NOT romances: they are purely and simply sex. And I make NO apologies for loving books such as these! Sometimes, you just need to read about two guys who have explosive chemistry getting down and dirty with each other!

Keep em coming, please God, keep these sorts of books coming at me, cos I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED them in my life!

S0, only because they are so bloody short, and only because one character in each pairing has a say...

4 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Ollie (A Little Christmas #3)
Ollie (A Little Christmas #3)
JP Sayle | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
far too stinking cute/wam and fuzzies/low angst! Loved it!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Sometimes, Ms Sayle writes dark and deadly, sometimes things are just plain weird (rhubarb!) and sometimes, they are so delightfully cute and warm and fuzzies that the world is a brighter place.

This book falls into the last category, and I bloody loved it!

Ollie and Beckett meet online, and their relationship blooms over time. But Ollie will not let Beckett see him properly. Ollie is scared that Beckett will catch one look at him and run far away. But Beckett is far deeper than Ollie thnks, and the boy just needs to give Beckett a chance to prove that. Leeson's wedding cruise is that time.

I loved that Ollie and Beck got to know each other over time, their feelings brewing for the better part of a year. It meant that when they did meet, it was more about getting Ollie to see just how much he meant to Beckett, and how much Beckett wanted to be Ollie's Daddy, if only he'd let him.

I loved that there was overlap with Denton and Vic's book, Cruising Right Into Love. This book takes place alongside that one, on the cruise.

I loved how the focus of this book was NOT about the physical side of their relationship, but more about the emotional one. There is smexy times, but I found them very much low key and fade to grey, rather than up-in-yer-face type scenes. Loved it, to be honest.

This is part of the 3rd A Little Christmas series, a multi author series. I haven't read the others, but it's not necessary to really enjoy this one.

So much love in this book, and it hits all the warm and fuzzies and too stinking cute and low angst spots and I bloody loved it!

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
His Steady Heart
His Steady Heart
Nell Iris | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I’m gonna jump straight in here, cos, well, because it’s my review and I can.

If you follow my reviews, you’ll know I have a particular dislike of several things.

First Person

Present Tense

Single Point of View.

So, when I started this book, and found it first person AND present tense, I got all ansty and twitchy and thought, nope, not doing it. THEN I realised it was single point of view, and my twitchiness went sky high and . . . .

bloody hell if I did not bloody LOVE this book!

Ashley or Buck, depending on who addresses him, was 22 years old when he first met Pippin and now, some 15 years (I was a bit unclear on that) later, he is still looking out for the little 6 year old boy who wormed his way into his heart. Now though, the little boy is all man, and when Pippin’s mother throws him under a bus (not literally, mind you!) of course Ashley will step up to look after the young man. But Pippin is proud, and won’t just take Ashley’s care, he must give back. The big bear of a man is Pippin’s idea of heaven, he just has to reach out and take him.

This has to be the sweetest, cutest CLEANEST book I've read in a long time, and I inhaled this book. I mean, I sat down, and didn’t move til I was done. It is only short, took me just over an hour but I really LOVED!

Ashley is the sweetest bear of a man, and no one can see that, except Pippin. Pippin sees Ashley, deep down, that he isn’t anyone’s “daddy”. He wants to look after people, yes, but PIPPIN is at the top of that very short list. PIPPIN is the one he realises he wants, even as he fights his attraction to the smaller man. PIPPIN tells Ashley he wants him, too, but not just for a quick lay. Pippin wants his first time to be special, and ASHLEY is that special man for Pippin.

I didn’t like what Pippin’s mum does to him, but you kinda saw that one coming like a train wreck and you can’t do anything to stop it.

The only thing, the one thing I cannot forgive is that Pippin doesn’t get a say! I wanted desperately to hear from him, even if it does make it first person/present tense/MULTI point of view (cos that would be my idea of Hell!) I NEEDED Pippin and I don’t get him. And I wanted to know, just what it was about Ashley that pushed his buttons, what he thought when Ashley’s ex turned up (and I LOVED how Pippin reacted to that!) and I wanted to know how he felt about his mum, and what she was doing to him.

That’s the only reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 stars, was because I did not get Pippin and I really needed him.

I’ve not read anything by this author before, but if they are all this good, I’d gladly inhale a few more!

4 sweet, cute, warm and so bloody fuzzies stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Doctor Sleep (2019)
Doctor Sleep (2019)
2019 | Horror
Some nightmares you wake up from, wipe the sweat from your brow, and go back to wonderful slumber as though it never occurred. Others follow you in both your sleep and waking hours. For Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) the nightmare that began at the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King’s best-selling novel (and movie directed by Stanley Kubrick) The Shining continue to follow him through his childhood years. With the help of a friendly spirit (Carl Lumbly) Dan learns how to contain the malevolent spirits that followed him from his nightmarish experience, but at almost the cost of his sanity. Falling back on his fathers’ previous crutch, Dan drinks and fights his demons away every night, consumed by a different type of spirit to manage the pain and fear that he has been running from.

Dan is about to hit rock bottom when he encounters a man who has certainly suffered with his own demons in the past, who offers him a place to stay, a job, and an escape from the alcohol that held him in his own personal hell for several years. After eight years of sobriety he strikes up a psychic pen-pal friendship with a young girl named Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), who shares his powers. His wish to push his “shining” deep down inside him, and not let it come out is interrupted when Abra witnesses a murder of a young boy. Using her gift, she uncovers a group of beings so evil, that their desire for immortality requires them to snuff out the lives of those who share the same special gift as Dan and Abra. Dan and Abra must join forces, and let their lights shine, if they are to defeat this evil and save themselves and others like them in the process.
Doctor Sleep is the long-awaited sequel to The Shining released (on film at least) back in 1980. While the original film was lauded by most and reviled by some in the way that Stanley Kubrick brought the story to life, it serves as the backdrop to this sequel. Blending reshoots of the original film (using the current actors) as flash backs, it provides the necessary background to those who may have never had the opportunity to see the original, and visual reminders to those who have. While artistically the film doesn’t hold a shine to the original, it tells a far more consumable story, with less focus on the imagery and symbolism in each shot then Stanly Kubrick’s masterpiece.

The bond between Ewan McGregor and upcoming star Kyliegh Curran is not only believable but magical. The chemistry that the two share both in separate scenes and together show the tight bond they certainly must have felt on set. The movie is blessed with an entire cast of supporting characters, that bring the believability and professionalism to the big screen. Rebecca Ferguson, as our duos’ primary adversary Rose the Hat, provides an outstanding performance. Surrounded by her fellow shine-pires, Grandpa Flick (Carel Struycken), Snakebite Andi (Emily Alyn Lind) and Crow Daddy (Zahn McClarnon) to name just a few, the group reminds me of The Lost Boys in their cunning and hunger.

Doctor Sleep is not a scary movie, at least not when it’s put beside The Shining. While it has scary moments, this is a movie about putting aside your fear and challenging evil, regardless of the cost. Dan must put the past behind him and dig deep within himself to find his purpose and with this purpose will come a lot of loss, but acceptance at the same time. The movie begins a little slow and picks up midway through. While the battle against many of the shine-pires may feel a little hollow at first, it’s nothing to what will compare with the ultimate climax between good and evil.

Fans of the Stanley Kubrick film will see lots of familiar locations and costumes throughout the two-and-a-half-hour show. Even the re-created scenes share the same visual imagery and spectacle, just as if it was simply a re-master. I actually liked that they reshot the pivotal scenes and characters, while no one can perfectly mimic the master of Jack Nicholson, I felt that Henry Thomas did an amazing job in his portrayal of the young Jack Torrance. Alex Essoe portrayed an outstanding Wendy Torrance, a role that was masterfully played by Shelley Duvall back in the day.

With the magnitude of Stephen King movies (and series) being released in the recent years, it could easily feel as if we have all been teleported back to the 80’s. There have been some homeruns in recent years (and some foul balls), but Doctor Sleep easily ranks up there as one of the better of the Stephen King movies to be released in recent memory. While the movie is much more action-oriented and doesn’t deliver on the sheer terror of the original, it suits the story, and does a commendable way of bringing closure to some of Stephen King’s more notable characters. Both fans and non-fans of the original will find a lot to like, and for those looking for more story (and less artistry) will be extremely pleased with the way director Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House series / Hush) brings this rendition to the screen. So, let your light shine and go see Doctor Sleep.