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Shouting Match (Amore Matchmaking #1)
Shouting Match (Amore Matchmaking #1)
Pandora Pine | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
so much with the warm and fuzzies AND too stinking cute! Loved It!
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Capone has been the head of the family since his father passed away. His youngest brother has decided to start a matchmaking scheme, and Capone is target one! But did it have to be Fuller, the hot cop who got him all hot and bovvered under the collar after a traffic stop?

This book, right? Is as pure a warm and fuzzies slash too stinking cute book as you're gonna get! Or at least, the purest I've had in such a long ass time, and I loved it!

Capone is a restauranteur, and Fuller the local cop, in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone else. Brando, the youngest brother of 4, and his matchmaking scheme needs a poster couple and who better than Fuller and Capone, eh?

What follows is a delightfully easy read (a really REALLY good thing!) with lots of misunderstandings, no real break-up but wonderful make-ups after those misunderstandings!

Both men are scared: Fuller after his last relationship, and what happens here because of that. Capone because of Fuller's job and because he has to look after his brothers and his mum. Capone had a wonderful upbringing, but Fuller not so much. They love the small town they live in, just wishing everyone wasn't so in-yer-face about everything. But when something happens, that in-yer-face-ness is vital!

It's funny, it's sweet, some smexy times, but not too many, just the right amount for this book. Some nosy brothers, all with a secret they've been hanging on for so long.

Said brothers are fabulous, and mum is awesome! And that goat is hilarious and nasty to all the brothers except Fio, who feeds him!

Fio is next, I have Grudge Match on my list to read shortly.

First I've read of Pine, so guess what? Wish list just got longer!

5 full and shiny stars (but I did write 4 first!)

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Conrad (Assassin's To Order #4)
Conrad (Assassin's To Order #4)
JP Sayle, Lisa Oliver | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
saved the best for last!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.


This is book 4 in the Assassins To Order series, and I strongly recommend you read books 1 to 3 first. OR at least, book 3 Duron. The Devil pops up first in that book.


I think, for me, Sayle and Oliver saved the best for last! I LOVED this, the final book.


Conrad is an assassin, and Kylo a police officer in Paraguay where the lost boys seem to originate from. Kylo has been chasing The Devil for 20 years and calling for an assassin to finally help him seemed like a good idea. Until Conrad gets off the plane and they scent each other: mates!


What I especially liked about this one was that Conrad is fully aware of his sexuality, while his brothers had not been. And Kylo calls to his Dom, much like his lion. And while Kylo is an Alpha male, a panther, he doesn't question Conrad and his connection and what Conrad can do for him, he just goes with it, and accepts what the Fates have planned for him.


Loved that Wyatt pops up, and who with and how THAT all plays out! Kinda saw that coming in the last book, but loved that it gets explained.


The Devil and what happens with all that was a surprise, and I loved the showdown! I'm still not entirely sure how many animals Conrad has, but they range from a blue dragon to a spider and everything inbetween. What happens between them all at the showdown was shocking but Kylo took it all in his stride. Loved that, while Conrad's lion is his most Dominant animal, the dragon has to have the last say!


There is talk of the other assassins, but only Wyatt pops up, The Thalassa guys are mentioned as well, but none appear here. I kinda missed them!


I'll miss ALL these guys, now both series are finished, but I think this really was a fitting end. I do hope we get some follow ups shorts!


I was waiting for this, and it did not disappoint.


5 full and shiny stars


*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Trust Me
Trust Me
Kelly Irvin | 2022 | Contemporary, Mystery
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
a bit too much, for ME!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I received my copy of this book via Netgalley.

I'm not 100% how I feel about this book, so I'll try to explain (which is not always possible!)

I liked the premise of this book. Delaney's boyfriend was sent to prison for the manslaughter of her brother. He maintained his innocence throughout. The day of his release, she finds her best friend killed the same way, and Hunter is now prime suspect. What follows is a race to not only prove Hunter's claim, but to prevent any more deaths.

I liked that we hear from more than just Delaney and Hunter. I do like to hear from everyone.

I liked the suspense aspect. I wasn't fully certain whodunnit, til it was revealed in the book.

It is a bit violent, with the death discoveries being described in detail. I did think that was appropriate though, for the most part, for this book.

It is clean. I didn't mind that. I do prefer my books on the more explicit side, but I'm big enough to say when a book does not need it.

It does drag a bit, between about 40 to 70% and I very nearly dumped it, but I wanted to know how it would all turn out.

And we come to my biggest issue. I'm quite happy to read Christian books, religious characters, deeply faithful or mindly thoughtful about higher powers. But this book takes the references to God and faith and belief a little bit too far, FOR ME. It felt like, at least every page had a reference to God or faith. A bit like it was shoving it down my throat. It really was, for ME, too much. I stress this point, this is MY OPINION, and how I felt about it.

This is the first I've read of this author. Will I read more? Probably not. A quick search shows a back list of religious themed books, and if they are anything like this one, I won't like it.

So, because of the major dragging bit, and because of the constant God/faith thing . . .

3 stars
  
Game Changer (Vancouver Orcas #2)
Game Changer (Vancouver Orcas #2)
Amy Aislin | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
delightful rad that hits a spot I didn't know needed hitting!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This Is book 2 in the Vancouver Orcas series, I have not read book one, Game Plan. I didn't think I was missing anything, but I WANT to read that book now, i don't need to, you know? So this can be read as a stand alone book, but be prepared to feel the same as I did after reading this one.

Blair has a self inflicted deadline, and he needs help to sort himself out so he can meet it. Charlie needs the extra cash, so steps up as general assistant and food prep person. Falling in love was not on the agenda for either of them.

I've read a couple by Amy Aislin, and they seem to carry a common theme, for me: warm and fuzzies and a whole lotta cute, and this book is no exception to that!

It really is a wonderful read, one that made me chuckle in places, it's emotional in places, it's steamy at some points, and hella smexy in others (and yes, steamy and smexy ARE different, but don't ask my book brain to explain it!) and it really is an all round great read.

There is no break up, no nutty ex, no real drama save for Charlie's cash flow problem, but that got fixed anyway. There are some family issues, but they get sorted once people see what they are doing.

I loved that once Charlie and Blair decide to be together, they go all in and Blair's team mates take Charlie in as one of their own.

It took me a wee while to place all of Charlie's cousins, and even longer to get that Matt Shore, Blair's coach, is one of those cousins! There is a clue to Matt's story here: his is the first book. And cousin Dorian, who plays a large part here, has the third book in the trilogy. I need that book too!

A delightful read, that really hit the spot I didn't know needed hitting.

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Winterian Sky (Ninety Planets)
Winterian Sky (Ninety Planets)
Rafe Jadison | 2023 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
great start to a new series
Independent reviewer for Arcaheolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is the first in the Ninety Planets series, and as such has a huge amount of world building. It made for slow reading for me at times, and this is the only reason I'm giving it 4 and not 5 stars.

Chesterfield is a Healer and scientist, trying to find a cure for the illness sweeping the whole planet. There is also a threat from above, the whole planet is in a kind of lockdown by the Moracci. The previous politicians had sold the planet out, and not they were all paying for it. Donacio is a Guard of Winteria and he caught sight of Chesterfield on a broadcast. His instincts kick in, and he knows he needs to pledge to Chesterfield. But first, he has to save him!

I really loved this, bar the world building, I really did. I loved the fade to grey romance element, which was a slow burn and kinda crept up on you! The virus ravaging the world gave me chills about what OUR world has just been through, but the politicians took things to the extreme here, and they themselves paid a heavy price as well as the world they left behind.

There is a great deal of love here, not just between Donacio and Chesterfield, but family love, trying to get the best for those who have been infected, but are still managing to function to some extent.

Set on a planet in outer space, things had different names, however when talked about, they were described in a way that made perfect sense, and I really liked that. Sometimes space set books are a little difficult to follow, cos you have no idea what they are talking about. But not so here.

It is the first in the series, but I'm given no indication as to who/where the next book might be about, and I'm intrigued by some characters here.

I look forward to reading the next one!

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Endosymbiont (The Vampire Guard #3)
Endosymbiont (The Vampire Guard #3)
Elizabeth Noble | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
great to catch up with these guys!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 3 in The Vampire Guard series, and I STRONGLY recommend you read Codename Jack Rabbit, and Quarry before this one. It will give you a better view of this group and who they are and what they do.

It's been a long time since I read the first 2 books, 6 years and 3 years and it took me a little bit of time to get back into this group, their dynamics and what they do, and what they are, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

It gets a bit complicated, when they are talking about the endosymbiont and what it does and what it was meant for, but I kinda glazed over that bit. In all honesty, my mind wasn't comprehending it, so I didn't try to hard to understand the technical stuff!

The story flips from various times in the past, 1929/1940s and now, giving you a picture of things that have happened to get to this point, at the bottom of the ocean where they are fighting for their lives and I loved that. It gives us Kai and Ori in all their glory, who (but feel free to correct, it has been YEARS!) are a new introduction to the Guard (in terms of these books) and some Sohpia and Porter too, along with Jonas, Lucas, Declan and Blair.

It's quite violent, but dealing with mutated beings would be. And again, it's clean and I'm finding I like that about these books. There is love and feelings, cos you get that through the various bonded pairings as things move along but no actual smexy times and its not needed at all.

There is an epilogue. Said epilogue ends rather abruptly. Leading me to believe that not only will there be another book, but the endosymbiont will pop up again.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, a great catch up with these guys.

4 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
First Snow (Northbound #2)
First Snow (Northbound #2)
Saga Nansen | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
If Arttu has to get on his knees for a murderer, so be it.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2 in the Northbound series, but it can be read as a stand alone. There is a minor on-going story arc that can be quickly picked, with most being recapped in this book.

I loved book one, Midnight Sun, and while I really REALLY enjoyed this one, it doesn't quite meet up to book one's grab-you-and-not-let-go kinda vibe, and it pains me, deeply, to say so!

I liked Arttu, I really did. He wants to find out what happened to his friend in London and if he has to get on his knees for a murderer, so be it. But Jareth is so much than the skin he wears. Yes, he has killed beings and people that break the rules, but never in cold blood. He is Half-Fae, a Lord of his people, and as such wears a glamour most of the time. When Arttu finally sees Jareth true form, he isn't quite sure what he is seeing, but he knows he needs Jareth, in any form.

Jareth, not so much. I don't know why, but my overwhelming feeling about Jareth is "I don't like you!" That said, I did like how drawn he was to Arttu. He knows Arttu is keeping secrets, he is a master at that himself, but still. He wants Arttu in a way he never wanted anyone before.

I liked that Jamie and Finn pop up (from book one) I liked the supporting cast, both the support for Arttu and Jareth is great in very different ways.

I'm still not sure quite what happened with Lord Briar and his wife though!

And I thank you, Saga Nansen, for the glossary at the end!! I found in immensely helpful!

I'm sorry I couldn't love it as much as Midnight Sun, but I did thoroughly enjoy it.

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Glow (Pleasure Seekers #3)
Glow (Pleasure Seekers #3)
Kristian Parker | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
There are sparks flying, right from that first meeting in the men's locker room!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 3 in the Pleasure Seekers trilogy, but it can be read as a stand alone. BUT, people?? READ the other books, OK?? Cos they set the scene for Scott to be the last man standing, and that man falls fast and hard and he never saw it coming!

Scott is looking for love, but his latest date was another washout. He really feels left out now Tyler and Eddie are loved up. A theft at work brings him face to face with Prin, from the IT department. Then Scott must stay focussed or he might not see the one thing he has been looking for, is right under his nose.

I loved Thrill, and I really liked Kicks, but I think Scott and Prin might be my favourite couple!

There are sparks flying, right from that first meeting in the men's locker room, and they fly through the whole book, even when Scott messes up (accidentally!) and puts Prin in a difficult position. This is really the only drama between these two, and that's why I tagged it low angst.

There is a good deal of other drama though! The theft and who is doing it, Prin's friend Colin and what's happening to him, and we also get to catch up with Tyler and Eddie and their other halves. At this point, they are all just about living together in the shared flat, so it's hard not to catch up with them!

But I loved what happens at the end. Prin gets some closure with his family. He needed that, he really did.

It's always sad to see a series end, especially one I've thoroughly loved. But hey, maybe Parker will write a follow up, kind of an epilogue in a whole book, just so we can see how the guys are getting on!

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Cruising Right into Love
Cruising Right into Love
JP Sayle | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved this, cannot fault it!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Sometimes, Ms Sayle writes incredibly dark tales, sometimes they are just plain weird (fingerlings, come to mind) and then there are these kinda books: just a beautifully told tale of two men doing something about the attraction between them, and letting it all happen, while on a cruise.

I loved this book, I cannot fault it!

Victor comes to Sweet Haven to recover and heal after breaking up with his abusive partner. That last scene with them two together is the start of this book. It was not easy reading, what he did to Vic, but I think it was needed to get the full horro of what he had suffered. Very well written, but hard reading. Getting a job with Leeson and Garrett (from the book Sweet Haven, I had to look!) gives him time to heal. It helps that Denton is easy on the eye, but taken. Then Denton isn't and then they are sharing a room on the cruise, and all bets are off!

What I loved about this most, was that, apart from that first chapter, and some reference to Vic's history, there is very little about that history. Sometimes, reliving past trauma takes up a lot of book, but it's been 2 years and Vic is far more confident now about a lot of things. And it shows when dealing with Mr Polished who takes a shine to Denton on the crusie and Vic is "he's MINE"!

I loved that while Denton was spoken for, nothing happened between them. I loved that Denton's ex is Vic friend, but they were able to get past the breakup and still be friends. I loved how fast things moved for these two. But it's been two years that they have lusted over each other, so things were not going to go at a snail's pace!

It's steamy and smexy. It's emotional and it's fun. It's beauitfully written and delivered. I cannot fault it!

I loved it, so bloody much, so it can only get:

5 full and shiny stars!

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Magic Always Sings (Magic Series #2)
Magic Always Sings (Magic Series #2)
Erin M. Leaf | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved what the magic did!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I wrote in a review for the first book I read of this author: First I've read of this author, I'd like to read a longer book, with more to get my teeth into. And this book delivers, big time!

This is the second book in the Magic Sings series, and I have not read book one, Magic Never Lies. I didn't feel I was missing anything, and I will go back, at some point, and read that book. Not because I need to, but because I want to.

Rowan is a rock star who cannot write songs, hasn't for some time. He NEEDS to, or he will be in trouble. Having someone else's songs shoved at him, and his magic goes haywire. Rowan loves these songs. Meeting Jesse sends him into a tailspin: he knows Jesse but can't recall from when. Once the penny drops, Rowan goes all out to settle his magic. But Rowan isn't out, and doesn't want to come out, not yet. Can they make this work?

What this is, right, is a wonderful tale of being true to yourself. Jesse has loved Rowan for a long time, and he will take him anyway he can get him, but Jesse knows Rowan is not being true to himself, regardless of what he said all those years ago. It's quite difficult reading, when Rowan tells Jesse why he won't come out, but the magic inside Rowan will not be denied.

I loved the magic thing, I really did. It just is, you know? You don't need a long winded explanation about it. Some people have it, and some don't, and I loved what the magic did to them both. Makes them kinda face their feelings, really!

I didn't think it overly explicit, but I liked that here, for these two. It's more about admitting your feelings, and letting them all out. Fairly low on the angst scale too.

A thoroughly enjoyable longer book by this author, and my to-read list is somewhat longer now too!

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere