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Same Time Next Year
Same Time Next Year
9
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
Genre: Contemporary

Word Count: 4,560

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.27/5 stars

My rating: 4.5/5 stars

It’s not often a book can surprise me. But Same Time Next Year totally took me off guard.

Every year, for the past either years, Regina White and Tyler Harrison meet at the same hotel, in two connecting rooms for one night.

The receptionist, Elizabeth, thinks she has the whole situation figured out. But she doesn’t know what this night means to the mysterious couple. And somehow she can’t stop thinking about them anyway.

You can read Same Time Next Year for free on Smashwords.

At first I thought I wasn’t going to like this story. I thought it was about two people leaving their depressing and dull lives to have one night of infidelity and debauchery a year, like some sort of modern day fairy tale. On top of that, the “good” character, Elizabeth, is kind of a bitch who is quick to condemn and judge Regina, but smile and admire Tyler.

It’s one thing to disapprove of adultery, it’s another thing to have double standards about it.

But despite my misgivings at first, I got sucked into the very hot sex scene quickly.

“No, I don’t want champagne. I want you. Naked. And wet. And begging.”

Gotta love good dirty talk. Unfortunately the scene ends abruptly and before the couple gets to the really good part, if you know what I mean. 😉

For such a short story there is actually a lot of character development. We learn that Tyler and Regina met at a conference years ago, when they had those two hotel rooms by coincidence. Tyler loves how Regina’s strong and confident in public, but a little submissive in the bedroom. Regina loves how Tyler still wants her, and how he’s always willing to please her. They have great chemistry together and I love how they’re still attracted to each other after all those years, and always come back to the same hotel.

My only complaint, aside from the abrupt end to the sex scene, is Elizabeth. I get why she’s necessary to the story, but she’s undeveloped and unlikeable, and I wish she was gone.
  
    Potion Explosion

    Potion Explosion

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    The official adaptation of Potion Explosion, the award-winning puzzle board game. Play this game...

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Debbiereadsbook (1407 KP) rated Elias in Books

May 12, 2020  
Elias
Elias
Amy Aislin | 2020 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
wonderfully warm and fuzzy and too stinking cute read
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Elias is plodding along, not particularly happy, as such, but getting by. He has a good job, and will be making VP shortly. Then he meets Ty and all bets are off. Ty brings something out in Elias, and Elias in Ty, and they just have to get past their *initial* thoughts about each others jobs.

SO!

I am ALL about my books feelings and this book right, hits a whole damn lot of them! I have not had such a cute story, that left me with so much warm and fuzzies in a long damn time! And I really REALLY enjoyed it!

Both Elias and Ty have a say, in the third person. So we get all the things Elias was thinking about when he meets Ty and Ty tells him off for putting his rubbish in the wrong bin. We get all of Ty's emotions when he realises how much more than friends he wants to be with Elias. We get it all.

It's not especially explicit, but damn, it's hot! There is chemistry, right from the start, between these two and it burns bright and hot the whole way through.

It's a bit emotional in places, when Elias is talking about his family and his past, and I was tearful at that point. Ty's family is great at taking Elias in as one of there own though.

There is no violence, no nutty ex, no major break up. And THAT, my book friends, is what I LOVED most about this book. The fact that; yes they fall out; but it's such a minor, silly thing, and it's resolved pretty quickly, but it's not relationship-break-up material, you know? It's a falling out over the choice of words one of them used, and everyone is happy after they talked it out.

They get their Happy Ever After in a very, almost fairy-tale like way, and I really REALLY enjoyed it!

4 wonderful stars (Can't quite stretch to 5 and most of the webistes don't do halves!)

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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The Prince And The Puppet Thief
The Prince And The Puppet Thief
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really loved The Prince and the Puppet Thief. This was a true fairy tale retelling that definitely didn't take itself too seriously.

Simon the Squirm is the son of the (second) most feared bandit in the kingdom and when we meet him he is stuffed into a cannon, ready to be fired to the tallest tower of the castle in order to steal some jewelled slippers. See what I mean about not taking itself seriously?

Simon also loves fairytales and the botched robbery sets into motion his own fairytale adventure, complete with dancing rats, sassy handmaids, the funniest bandits ever and some seriously cute queer relationships.

I loved everything about this book - did I mention I loved it? The writing style was very witty and I loved the little references and "skits" that poked fun at the fairytales we know and love. We even get an alternative version of The Snuggly Duckling pub from Tangled!

The villain of the story is captivating: they are both misunderstood and jaded by their past; trying to help but ruining lives when things don't go their way. The fact that the reader ends up sympathising with them really says a lot about both the writing and character development within this story.

But for me the relationships stole the show: I loved the contrast between one relationship which was very new and tension-filled, where the characters didn't know if their feelings were going to be accepted, never mind reciprocated and the second, forbidden but very settled relationship where the characters had been in love for some time.
There were some moments where the LGBTQ characters were not entirely accepted by others and I can't speak as to whether this would be triggering or not. Thankfully the main characters are very strong, they stand up for themselves and are so sure of their love that, by the end of the book, they are accepted for who they are.


If you're looking for a funny, cute but sassy, camp fairytale-turned-on-it's-head then this is the book for you!

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