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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
  
The Bond (The Secret Tales #1)
The Bond (The Secret Tales #1)
Vicki Stiefel, Sanna Brand | 2023 | Romance
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
absolutely LOVED the slow burn/fade to back/very little smexy times!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Historical romance has always been a bit hit and miss for me, I tend to get annoyed with all the rules and regs of the time, but, strangely, that's what I liked about this one!

Because Rosie (to only Rhys and NO ONE else!) kind of flaunts the rules. She pushes the boundaries and smashes down the expectations for ladies of her time.

Given her secret, and how she dealt with that in the past, it's understandable she doesn't want anyone to push her into anything, certainly not a marriage to Penworth, the odious man. Rose's male parental unit (I refuse to call him her father!) is a nasty piece of work, but he does get his comeuppence!

I loved that Rose and Rhys have history, from when they were children. I loved that we get some of that history in flashbacks. It helps you paint the picture of how Rose and Rhys came to be.

And I absolutely LOVED the slow burn/fade to back/very little smexy times that this book has. Hardly surprising given Rose's past, but I loved that Rhys loved Rosie enough to WAIT for her, to come to him, when she wanted more from him.

Quite a lot of angst in this book, for Rose as well as Rhys. I liked that Rhys was able to articulate his feelings for Rose, since men of that time were not expected to be able to do that.

Given the bit at the end, I expect that one of Rose's sister's will be next and I look forward to reading it,

I wrote 4 stars at the top of the page, but I can't find a single thing wrong with it, so. .

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Kicks (Pleasure Seekers, #2)
Kicks (Pleasure Seekers, #2)
Kristian Parker | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
a perfect follow up to book one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2 in the Pleasure Seekers series, but it can be read as a stand alone book. I loved book one, Thrill, and would strongly recommend it but it's not necessary, you know?

I loved Eddie and Scott in book one, and I was looking forward to getting to know them better, because I was fairly certain they are putting on a face for the world. But I discovered, not so much for Eddie. He's very laid back, until he lays eyes on Billy, then all bets are off!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it, and I don't know why and my book brain hates that I cannot voice why!

I liked Eddie and Billy, separately and apart. We got a lot of Billy's family here, raising his teenage sister and reconnecting with his older brother but we don't get much about Eddie's. I kinda missed that.

There is powerful and immediate attraction for these two and it burns hot and bright through the whole book. That is, until Billy finds out what Eddie did and then, all bets are off again!

Tyler is still living with Eddie and Scott and as such, Tyler and Danny, along with Scott play a large part here. I liked that we got to catch up with them.

Not an especially emotional read, but sometimes, that's just what you need.

Scott is next. Now Scott, I know, is putting on a face, and the poor man has a case of envy, given that his two flatmates are now loved up and I look forward to getting his story!

As I said, I liked this book, just couldn't quite love it though, like book one, (sorry!)

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
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
  
Rock Crush and Roll
Rock Crush and Roll
Hunter Snow | 2023 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
not overly explicit but very steamy in places!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

From what I can see, this is a debut author, and I enjoyed this!

Tyler has crushed on Cary for some time. And Cary has crushed on Tyler too, but they work together, sorta, and Tyler has a strict no musicians rule after being hurt badly by one. But with very little effort, they start to see the person behind the mask, and
 maybe, just maybe, Tyler can find her Happy Ever After.

This is cute, it really is. I liked that Tyler and Cary knew each other for a long time before they started a relationship. I liked that both of them fell fast and hard. I liked that Cary tried to spoil Tyler, but she managed to not let him get away with too
 much.

It’s not overly explicit, but it does get steamy in places. Just the right amount for these two, I think.

Both Cary and Tyler have a say in the third person, The change usually occurs as the chapter changes, but sometimes in the middle. Each change is clearly headed and I liked that.

Lots and LOTS of one liners from well-known songs (each with the artist named too) and some not so well known to me. Didn’t take anything away from the story, but I found myself trying to spot them all! And then to proceed to sing said song in my head til I
 came across the next one!

I struggled a bit with the workings of the music industry and found Tyler’s boss a slimeball, but he does get his comeuppence!

A great start from this author. When I come across a new (or new to me) author, my first question is always “Do I want to read more by this author?” and my answer here is a resounding “yes!”

So cute, and warm and fuzzies and a good solid 3 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
  
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
  
Sloane's List
Sloane's List
Viola Estrella | 2023 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
high on the cute scale!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Sloane is now an empty nester, after sending her 18 year old daughter off to college. She has a list of ten things she wants to do. She just needs a man to help her. Enter Oscar. He meets her the day before Paige goes off, and is smitten from then on. But Oscar is younger than Sloane, and has a bit of a reputation. What's a girl to do, eh?

Bar one thing, and I will come back to that, I loved this!

It's a really easy read, and I mean that in a very VERY good way.

There were some plot lines I did not see coming, so well played there, but the penny did drop really fast! And some coming at ya like a freaking freight train, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. But I loved that! Sometimes, it really is lovely to see it all laid out for you.

It's not overly explicit, and I loved that here, for these two. I was expecting it to be, for some reason, and I loved being proven wrong about what I needed to read at this point in time.

Fairly low on the angst scale, but high on the cute scale and scorching on the warm and fuzzy scale!

I loved that we got to hear from both Sloane and Oscar, but also from Paige (Sloane's daughter) Alex (Oscar's brother) and the mother hen in the apartment complex, Auntie Ernie.

So, what didn't I like? Simple. First person, present tense AND multi point of view. In fact, I very VERY nearly dumped this, once I saw how it was written. So very VERY glad I didn't!

I haven't read anything by this author before, and I think I'd like to read something with a bit more bite.

But still, a very VERY good, 4 star read.

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Demon's Obsession (Obsessions #1)
Demon's Obsession (Obsessions #1)
JP Sayle, Lisa Oliver | 2024 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Silas' tre makes for some fun times!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is the start of a new series by these 2 authors, and I have to say, very different from the Tangled Tentacles and I loved that it is!

Silas goes to town once a week to sing. He can only manage short times away from his tree and the forest, being a dryad. Dakata is a demon, living in the human world, managing music acts. Dakata's demon reacts to Silas, making Dak aware that his Blissful One is near. But others are against the mating. And danger looms.

I just gotta mention the cover! When I got my copy, it didn't have a cover, and I only saw the cover AFTER I read it. It fits, perfectly! The scene it's taken from? Comes over exactly like the cover! Love it!!

I loved this, I really did. It's a bit different, with Silas being a dryad. He is bonded to a tree, and cannot be far from it. The tree talks to Silas, but also is able to move freely. Which makes for some fun times, especially when Dak is near and they get down and dirty! Phew!! Dak's demon talks to the tree too.

I liked that the danger was simple jealousy. No complicated plot with twist and turns to follow. I even liked the way Dak's demon dealt with that threat.

So, I have a couple of questions!

Will Wanda get a book? I mean, she has three trees she is bonded to, will she get three partners?

Will Dougal and George get stories too?? I loved these two and hope they do.

And just who is the goat, in dak's apartment that kicks Merihem in the nuts??!!

It's a little bit out there, but Sayle is becoming a master at the out there troupe!

Loved it, can't wait for more!

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