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Sweat Connection (Hot Under the Collar #1)
Sweat Connection (Hot Under the Collar #1)
Katherine McIntyre | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Quite possibly McIntyre's best work to date!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I'm not rehashing the blurb, and I'm not telling you the story, I'ma just gonna jump straight in!

READ THIS FREAKING BOOK, PEOPLE!

It's so well written, from both Rhys and Cole's POV, in the first person, each chapter headers the change.

It's steamy and smexy (sooooooooooooooooooo smexy!) It's deeply emotional, for both Rhys and Cole and that surprised me, don't ask me why, cos I've no freaking idea! I just expected this to be a light and fluffy book. And it is, but with a heavy side of emotions.

It's sweet and cute, it's so freaking cute. Full of the warm and fuzzies that low/no angst books carry. Full of emotion and love.

Rhys is in a dark place when he comes into contact with Cole, and after that, it's just two guys falling in love! Throw in McIntyre's skill with found families, and extended families, and a 2 yr old called Sammy and you've got, for me, possibly McIntyre's best work yet!

AND this is the first in a new series and I cannot wait for the next one!

I'm making this a relatively short review, I might start ranting and raving, and if I allow myself free reign, you could end up with a 10,000 word review!

I'm putting this on my Masterpiece shelf! I abso-freaking-lutely loved this book and I can't see why anyone wouldn't.

5 full and shiny stars.

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Divided Road (The Road to Rocktoberfest 2024)
Divided Road (The Road to Rocktoberfest 2024)
Anne Barwell | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I liked that I was able to get into their minds a good deal
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This book is part of the Road to Rockoberfest 2024, but can be read as a stand alone to the other books in the series.

Owen is the fiddler in Flightless, an up and coming rock band. Jared joins as a stand in when the keyboard player takes some family time. But time is short for Owen and Jared.

For the most part, I liked this book.

Both Jared and Owen have a say, and they say a great deal. I liked that I was able to get into their minds a good deal.

It's not overly explicit but there are smexy times. No real angst or drama, I didn't think.

I did like the way it all played out.

It's an easy read, a Nice book.

*insert sigh*

I just felt I was missing MUCH information. About both men, and their history. Case in point: these guys met before, The Beer Guy incident. I needed that explained. I don't fully get that and I wanted it. I also found it was a little . . . flat . . .on the romance. They meet, they kiss, and they are in love. I wanted more build up.

BUT like I said, I did enjoy it, I'm just saying what I wanted that I didn't get.

3.5 stars, but rounded UP for the blog.

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
False Start (Big Bend Bears #3)
False Start (Big Bend Bears #3)
Nicole Dykes | 2025 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
FALSE START is the third book in the Big Bend Bears series, although I haven't read the first two. This didn't impact my enjoyment of Vaughn and Austin's story in any way.

Austin and Vaughn have been best friends for years and years. Austin has been in love with Vaughn for nearly as long. Vaughn is happy with his girlfriend, Vanessa, though and now they are leaving high school and going to university, Austin decides to break free and go to a different school. Vaughn is hurt by this and doesn't understand why until Austin shouts it at him.

Austin is a non-stereotypical nerd and Vaughn is the jock who is willing to go toe-to-toe with anyone who threatens anyone who is 'his'. Austin is also the worrier in the relationship, whereas Vaughn is very much 'take me as I am!'

This story was fast-paced with some time-hops to keep the story moving. It is also low-angst which made for an easy read. I loved the relationship Vaughn and Austin had, with how easy it was for the most part, but still had its hard and hurting times.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and have no hesitation in recommending it. I would definitely read more in this series, especially if Calvin gets a story!

** 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!
Apr 16, 2025
  
Wake Me Up Inside (Mates #1)
Wake Me Up Inside (Mates #1)
Cardeno C | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance
8
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wake Me Up Inside (Mates #1) by Cardeno C.
Wake Me Up Inside is the first book in Cardeno C's Mates Collection that I have read, although it is not the first book by her that I have enjoyed. Her style of writing is smooth and flows consistently throughout the book, drawing you into the story and the minor angst that is in there.

Zev knows that Jonah is his true-mate but views are not very forward-thinking in his pack, although he is doing his best to move that along. No one seems prepared to accept that Zev can mate with someone other than a female to keep his humanity. Jonah has no idea about the wolves or Zev, but instead, just knows that Zev is the one he has loved and wanted for as long as he can remember.

This is a bittersweet story as Zev and Jonah spend their time apart for at least half of it, for reasons explained. Although I understood why Zev wanted to give Jonah his space and time to get his degree, I was also very impatient for them to get together. Once they did, the action and story move along quickly and quite a few different story threads are pulled together and tied off. I would loved to have had more about Zev and Jonah, the pack's reaction etc, but then I'm just greedy.

Thoroughly enjoyed this and can definitely recommend it!

I received this book from WLK Book Promotions in return for a fair and honest review.

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
40x40

Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated All Grown Up in Books

Jan 3, 2018 (Updated Jan 3, 2018)  
All Grown Up
All Grown Up
Jami Attenberg | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Entertaining, a more realistic Sex and the City
This is a fictional but all too real account of one woman’s voyage through life, battered by family, societal pressures and her own inner demons. Andrea, the character at the heart of the book, is absolutely clear that she does not want a child of her own.

Her life is spread eagled across the pages for the reader to pick over. Each chapter is a snapshot of an episode in her life, whether it is looking back over some of her chaotic childhood years - Dad was a drug user who died too early; Mum, once on her own again, runs bi-monthly dinner parties in the 1990s attended by only men, who of course try and hit on Andrea, a teenager at the time; or whether it is an examination of her relationships with her friends, lovers and acquaintances who pass through her life now.

Andrea also has a brother who in turn has a daughter, only tiny, who was born with a congenital problem and her life expectancy is only around four years. Yet, our self absorbed protagonist does not really visit to offer support because she is so wrapped up in her own world. She simply does not have the mental capacity and resources to give to her brother and little niece.

This is an interesting read, on-point in many ways – it smacks of New York and of lives lived in the city, Freudian Angst, neuroses and all the shtick of metropolitan Manhattan. At times, it did feel a little cliched but may be we all repeat the same patterns?
  
A Vampire's Embrace (Blood Rose Time Travel #2)
A Vampire's Embrace (Blood Rose Time Travel #2)
Caris Roane | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Vampire's Embrace (Blood Rose Time Travel #2) by Caris Roane
A Vampire's Embrace is the second book in the Blood Rose Time Travel series, and we meet up with Rez and Holly as they become the latest pair that the Invictus target. This world is firmly established, and yet Caris Roane has managed to introduce a new set of rules to their world - that of time-pathing. Only a certain few have this talent, and Holly is one of them. She has been pushed hard by Vojalie but still has things to learn. One thing she doesn't need to learn about though, is Rez. Holly thinks that she knows him, the same as he thinks that he knows her. Both of these are in for the shock of their lives as they realise that the real them is very different from what the other thought.

With a fast pace and steamy situations, it was with delight that I found the softer, more gentle, side of Rez and his quest to find his missing daughter. This was exceedingly well written, with enough angst to make it real, rather than overly dramatic. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. I would totally recommend not only this book, and the first one is this series, but the whole Blood Rose set. With characters mentioned from previous stories, you will definitely be in for a treat as you enter their world.

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Finding Home
Finding Home
Meg Harding | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Finding Home by Meg Harding
Finding Home starts off with Jared. He has lost his job, is living back with his mother as his husband cheated with someone else, and now he finds out that his grandma has died. His mother wants him out of the house so she sends him off to hell (Florida in May) where he finds more than he bargained for, and learns about just who he is and what he wants.

This is a sweet and steamy, low angst, story full of feel-good factors. Jared's brothers are all brilliant, and Chase is... well, Chase is Chase and I wouldn't change a thing. Jared's neuroses were a tad annoying to start with, but as his story became clear, all was forgiven as I literally couldn't see him growing up any differently given the circumstances.

One thing I loved in particular (without giving away any spoilers) is when Jared does something that others might not agree with, but he does it for himself, for his own reasons, and to find things out about himself. I LOVED THAT!!! He is aware of what jumping into something might be like, but he is prepared to work with himself to ensure that everything goes the way it should.

With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, this was a page-turner that had humour, family, hotness, and love. Definitely recommended by me.

* 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!