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Hanging with Daddy (Pride Pet Play 2023)
Hanging with Daddy (Pride Pet Play 2023)
JP Sayle | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
6
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
cute and sweet but maybe not for me.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, i was gifted my copy of this book.

I love JP Sayle, you know I do. I've watched the skill this author has grow from the very beginning, and I'm incredibly proud of the work this author continues to produce.

But!

This one I found a little too sweet for me, and I hate that I did.

It's well told, from both Gaines and Austin's point of view. It's the first I've of a koala as a chosen pet for play, and at times, I did find the koala stuff too much. There were koalas in everything, EVERYTHING Gaines did, and it was a bit overpowering.

I loved that both men had an immediate and powerful reaction to the other, and both men, once they started to get to know each other, were fully able to adapt and bend to the others' needs, without sacrificing their own. I liked that Austin gave Gaines time to work things out in his head, before he came to Austin, even if it killed Austin to wait.

I loved that we got to catch up with Terrence and Warner from A Little Christmas, Terrence. It's always great catching up with characters fromprevious reads, even in those that can stand alone from others.

I really liked that, while some things *little* were mentioned in passing, and others were talked about, Gaines doesn't slip far into little-space. He's more a pet-space kinda guy and I did like that. LOVED the descriptions of Gaines climbing Austin like a pole! LOVED them!!

It's steamy and smexy, not overly emotional and there is no real drama, save for Gaines getting his head straight to talk to Austin.

It just didn't really work for me, and I hate that it didn't! I'm sorry, Jayne!

3 good, but not really for me, stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
40x40

Merissa (13555 KP) rated Thick as Thieves (Aster Valley #4) in Books

Mar 2, 2022 (Updated Jul 3, 2023)  
Thick as Thieves (Aster Valley #4)
Thick as Thieves (Aster Valley #4)
Lucy Lennox | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
THICK AS THIEVES is the fourth book in the Aster Valley series and we meet Julian and Parker. Now, for me, I met them for the first time, although readers of other books in the series may have met them already.

Julian is gay and has no reason to hide it. He has been in love with Parker since they were young. He watched from the sidelines as Parker went to Prom with Erin and had an on-off relationship with her through the years, culminating in the wedding they are all there to celebrate.

Parker has always known Julian will be there for him. He is his best friend and nothing could ever change that - could it? Apparently so. Although the wedding doesn't happen, it does open Parker's blinkers. And once they're off, boy, are they off!!

I loved that once Parker chose Julian, that was it for him. Of course, we have to go through his oblivious times too. My heart hurt so much for Julian. I also wanted to slap both of them upside the head at times. Yes, both of them. Parker because he's just too darn nice at times, and Julian because he doesn't trust in Parker and pushes him to his ex. I guess that means I'm not so nice!

This was a hot and steamy book, full of emotions, that made me laugh out loud and shake my head in dismay at the antics of these two and their friends. So, basically, it was a great read that kept my attention fully entertained and engaged.

A great addition to the series and absolutely 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!
Mar 2, 2022
  
Royally Arranged (The Royal Series #2)
Royally Arranged (The Royal Series #2)
Amber Malloy | 2024 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
sometimes, you need to see whats coming at ya!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2 in the Royal Series. I have not read book one, Royally Screwed and a quick read of that blurb tells me you don't need to read that one before this. Those characters do not appear in this book. It's also the first book I've read of Mallory's. I'll come back to that.

Rafe needs a wife, a temporary arrangement, while his twin brother, his ELDER twin, gets a clean bill of health. A business arrangement which Astoria enters, with a shelf life to the arrangement. At least it started as such.

I liked this. It follows a proven track: an arranged marriage; they have sex (which wasn't part of the arrangement) there is a major fall out, and then a make up, and all is happy in the world. And sometimes you need to see what's coming at ya, like a freight train, and ain't nothin' you can do to stop it. And I LIKED that in this book!

It's steamy in places, but I didn't find it overly heavy on the smexy times. I didn't find it particularly emotional, either. Rafe lost his wife and son, but you don't FEEL that pain from him.

I think that is what I missed the most in the book: emotional connection. Yes, they have smex and do all the things they are supposed to, but I didn't find an EMOTIONAL connection between them. They do say those three little words, but again, I didn't FEEL the love between them.

As I said, my first book by Mallory. I'd like to delve into the backlist of this author to see if I can find that connection. Might just be how the author writes, is all.

So, because I felt that was missing, I gave this book

4 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
A Little Christmas! Matty's Secret
A Little Christmas! Matty's Secret
JP Sayle | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Loved the way Wes fit Matty's foxes into his life.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This book is part of the 2nd season of A Little Christmas. You don't need to read the others, they all stand alone within the series. I would recommend you read Hanging With Daddy, by JP Sayle though before this one. We first met Matty there, he is Gaines' best friend. And since Gaines and his Daddy Austin play a large part here, it might help to have their story first. Not necessary, just a personal point.

Matty keeps picking the bad ones, and now questions everything. Weston comes across the cute little Pumpkin in the park and is smitten. But can Matty let Weston in??

What this is, is a wonderfully written, delightfully told tale of letting someone into your heart, even though you know it might get broken.

It's sweet and smexy, cute and cuddly, and all sorts of things that might take too long to type!

I loved catching up with Gaines and Austin, but also with Terrence and Warner, for the first Little Christmas series. Austin, Warner and Weston turn out to be very close friends, and I loved how they all slot into each other's lives here.

There is very little drama between Wes and Matty. The drama is called by Matty's ex, Putrid Peter. Have to say, that did make me laugh, calling him that but it fits perfectly!

Loved the way Wes fitted Matty's foxes into his life. The plates were a particularly cute touch. But Weston wants Matty happy, and he will do what Matty needs him to.

I did like being made to wait for the main event though! While there are smexy, steamy times, they don't go all the way til very near the end of the book, and I loved that!

I loved it, exercises and all! (But I'm with Matty on that front, walking is enough :-) )

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Tyler's Alphas
Tyler's Alphas
Drew Hunt, Chad White (Narrator) | 2024 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved that the main event was faded to black!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted the AUDIO version of this book.

I have to say, for such a short book, 2hours and 5 minutes(73 pages), it packs quite a punch!

Tyler knows about werewolves, his fav soap is based around them, but he also knows that there is more to them than the soap portrays. When not one, but TWO alphas start to pay him some attention, he gets all flustered but one touch and his busy mind stills. That Tyler is a human is not what the alphas think, either!

I really only have one niggle, and it really is my being greedy, but I know short books come with some restrictions. Only Tyler has a say, in the third person. I would have loved to hear from Blaze and Rocky, I really would.

But the best bit?? The best bit for me was, that although this has steamy and smexy times between all three of them, the main event is absolutely faded to black! Yes, I know I like my books on the smexy side, but I loved that we don't get down and dirty with the guys, just the assuming aftermath!

Chad White narrates. I've not listened to him before, and I really enjoyed the voices he does for all three men. Blaze is super Alpha male, and Rocky, is kinda simple sounding but really isn't and Tyler fits right between the two. I loved all the voices, really and White's reading voice is deep and even and I had no trouble keeping up.

I'd like to listen to more read by White, but also, I'd like to read more of Hunt. My first of his, and I'd like to read something a bit longer, with a more indepth story.

4 stars for the book
4 stars for the narration
4 stars overall.

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Unbar the Barred (Darling Ranch #1)
Unbar the Barred (Darling Ranch #1)
JP Sayle | 2025 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cassidy and Trey are perfect for each other!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This book was originally called Ranch Down and was published in an anthology, it hasn't had any revisions, bar some minor editing. It's based in the Divergent Omegavesre world, but can totally be read as a stand alone novel to that series. It's a jumping off point, the start of a new series, set on Darling Ranch.

Cassidy and Trey have a friends with benefits thing going on. Neither will admit to the other, but they both want more. The arrival at the Darling Ranch of the Starling brothers presses ALL of Trey's buttons and he claims what really has been his for a long time. But can a city wolf and a farm chick really be happy?

This was, and I defy anyone to tell me otherwise, the most too stinkin cute, warm and fuzzies, low angst book I've read in a long time!

Cassidy and Trey really are perfect for each other. They know it. We know it but they refuse to admit to the other about it. It takes a Starling to flirt with Cassidy for Trey to broadcast his feelings across the bar and go all cave man on Cassidy and I loved that!

It's steamy, with Cassidy and Trey already in a relationship, of sorts. They already know what they like, what the other likes, so the first time is straight in, so to speak.

Once they admit to the other what they really want, they go all in and are out to make this work, they just need to find a compromise in the location of them being together.

Loved Cassidy's girls and their outfits!

Some overlap in the timeline with Silas's Sweetheart, which is the Divergent Omegaverse book 4. We do meet Cass and Trey there.

Thoroughly enjoyable hour's read!

4 very good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
AS
A Siren Song for Christmas (An MM Monster Christmas #5)
Gigi Rivers | 2025 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A SIREN SONG FOR CHRISTMAS is part of the MM Monster Christmas series, and honestly? It might be my favourite of the bunch so far!

Trent is the youngest of the family and thinks of himself as a weak witch. He hasn't really connected to the bakery, so helps as an 'assistant' instead. He also appreciates all the sacrifices his siblings made after their parents died, so helps out wherever and whenever he can. The one thing he absolutely doesn't mind, though, is getting the seeds for Jasper's tea each day. It is his highlight of the day, because he gets to see Mr Marin, the owner of the Emporium. Malachi is still grieving the death of his mate. He is also a siren, a culture where being blunt and direct is a good thing. He doesn't understand some of the subtleties of other species, humans included.

Oh, boy. This book had it all. It made me laugh out loud at the miscommunications and interactions. It made me cry with both happiness and sadness. It was profound, especially Malachi's comments about the passage of time. There was a protective family, heartbreak, sorrow, and more cuteness than I could nearly bear. And I loved it all! The steamy scenes are *chef's kiss!!!* I honestly thought Trent was going to bond with the Emporium, and I loved how he got Kelby.

Scratch what I said at the top, this IS my favourite of the series so far. I was completely enthralled from beginning to end. I can't wait to hear Jasper's story, but I really hope we see Trent and Malachi again!

** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 28, 2025
  
M(
Moonville ( Gold Prophecy 1-4)
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
40 of 220
Kindle
Booksirens arc
Moonville (Gold Blood Prophecy 1-4)
By K.J Devoir
⭐️⭐️

Please check Trigger warnings

Psycho gets the girl.

Leena Sperling has fallen into darkness. Darkness has a name...

ZAND BYRON

He’s larger than life. He’s also a deeply dangerous, twisted soul, a textbook psychopath. But, somehow...she makes him feel.

"You can run, Leena. But I will find you."

Leena: When I arrived to the City of Souls, the tiny cemetery town wrapping the Bay Area foothills where Moonvine Manor is located, I had no idea what to expect or how insane my life would become after moving into the former, Queen Anne, funeral home that belonged to my missing sister. I should have known that being greeted by a tombstone-shaped granite welcome sign was either a sick joke or a bad omen. But I could never have predicted that I would fall in love with the darkness.

Zand: I don’t want to ever stop making her cry. Her tears are full of human feelings, and I love the taste. She makes me feel, but part of me wants to end the human in her that brings out the human in me. In a heartbeat, I could make her nightmares infinitely darker. I'm a bad man, trying to be good.

Ok so this premise was good it gave me very much Morganville vibes but a little darker and steamy. The characters were ok and certainly lived up to the dark paranormal romance vibe.
But I had a few issues and I can only be honest. There were bits of the book that didn’t quite add up and there was something really off about it all. A few times I wanted to stop reading. It just wasn’t for me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Please check Trigger warnings
  
A Touch of Maple (Love in Maplewood #3)
A Touch of Maple (Love in Maplewood #3)
Amy Aislin | 2025 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
For these two, I think it was a perfect balance of steam and emotion.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarain, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is part of the Love in Maplewood series, I have not read any others and I don't think you would need to, they all appear to be linked only by Maplewood and the low angst tag. I wouldn't say no to reading any more, though!

Jason lives in Maplewood and helps run the family maple syrup farm. Bellamy is traded to the local ice hockey team. He has been moved a lot, and it's beginning to get old. Meeting Jason and things seemed to be looking up, that is, until he finds out that Jason is the brother of Ryland, his arch enemy.

What I especially loved about this book is the low angst. I have some *stuff* going on right now, and it absolutely hit the spot I needed it to! Jason and Bellamy are aware they will upset Ryland , but still know that what they have is special. And, as Bellamy points out, Ryland is the real instigator in their "feud"

I found it steamy, but not especially smexy, and I really enjoyed that I could just fall into the book and watch these two men fall in love, without smexy stuff taking over. I love a smexy book, don't get me wrong, but for these two, I think it was a perfect balance of steam and emotion.

I loved that there was not a break up/make up thing and I loved that Ryland, while initially. . .not hurt, but more put out. . .by Jason being with Bellamy, he comes around in the best way!

Loved the epilogue and the bonus chapter.

Thank you, Ms Aislin, for really making my day with this book.

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere