tidbitswithtoby

[tidbitswithtoby]

Quick Reviews - August 2022

Lost Boys - Jessie Walker

Where There's a Will - 5/5

If There's a Way - 5/5

Every Breath After - TBD

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Noah and Cole Thriller - Tal Bauer

The Murder Between Us - 4/5

The Graves Between Us

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Inevitable Destruction - Marie Ann - 2/5

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River of Rain Duet - C.E. Ricci

Follow the River - 5/5

After Rain Falls - 5/5

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Don't You Dare - C.E. Ricci - 5/5

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Unforgettable Duet - Brooke Blaine

Forget Me Not - 5/5

Remember Me When - 5/5

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Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees - Jennifer Cody

The Trouble With Trying to Date a Murderer - 0/5

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CU Hockey - Eden Finley & Saxon James

Power Plays and Straight A's - 5/5

Faceoffs & Cheap Shots - 5/5

Goal Lines & First Times - 5/5

Line Mates and Study Dates - 5/5

Puck Drills and Quick Thrills - 5/5

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Egoist - Nero Seal

Love of the Egoist - 4/5

Acceptance of the Egoist - 4/5

Obsession of the Egoist

Pursuing the Egoist

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Fallocaust - Quil Carter

The Suicide King vol. 2 - 5/5

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Steele Brothers - Eden Finley

Unwritten Law - 3/5

Unspoken Vow

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Love Unexpected - R. Cayden

Filthy Sweet - 3/5

Filthy Bromance

Filthy Rock stars

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Step Bully - Willow Dixon - 5/5

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The Anonymous Hookup - Jex Caulder - 3/5

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Shadows of London - Ariana Nash

Twisted Pretty Things - 5/5

Tide of Tricks - 5/5

Trial by Fire - 5/5

Truth or Dare - 5/5

Without a Trace - 5/5

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Silent Ground - Quil Carter

Silent Ground pt. 1 - 4/5

Silent Ground pt. 2 - 4/5

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Secrets Kept - Riley Hart

Off Limits - 5/5

Pushing the Limits - 4/5

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Overall Favorites: Lost Boys, still thinking about this a full month later. CU Hockey - Goal Lines and First Times. I recommend all of C.E. Ricci's books. Shadows of London.

[tidbitswithtoby]

Quick Reviews - July 2022

His Piratical Harem - Drake LaMarque

Cabin Boy - 3/5

First Mate's Pet

Merfolk's Mate

Captain's Treasure

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Primal Sin - Ariana Nash

Primal Sin - 5/5

Eternal Sin - 4/5

Infernal Sin - 4/5

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Tales from Verania - TJ Klune

The Lightning-Struck Heart - 3/5

Destiny of Dragons

The Consumption of Magic

A Wish Upon the Stars

The Damning Stone

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Unexpected - Cora Rose

Whit - 4/5

Sem - 4/5

Emery - 5/5

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Camassia Cove - Cara Dee

Book 9 - If We Could go Back - 5/5

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Dirty Love - Bethany Winters - 5/5

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Head Above Water - C.E. Ricci - 4/5

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Reapers Series - Nero Seal

Iblis' Affliction - 4/5

Series TBD

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Shiver - Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine - 3/5

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Wrath - Ellis James - 4/5

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Worthless boys - Bailey Nicole

Cruel and Careless - 4/5

High and Hopeless - 3/5

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His Revelry - Bailey Nicole - 5/5

Overall Favorite: Emery from Unexpected. If We Could Go Back. Cruel and Careless

[tidbitswithtoby]

Wrath - Ellis James - 4/5

What it's about: Josh is a closeted gay living in a small town. His new stepbrother Ezra uses that against him to keep Josh from telling his own secrets.

This book made me think. Ezra is a character that I try to stay away from because he reminds me too much of myself. A lot of this book felt like reliving some of my sadder teenage years and because I connect with it on such a personal level it's difficult to put what I'm feeling into words. It's sad in a good way, there was a good blend of humor and light-hearted moments as well as some sadder, more horrific moments that gave so much more depth to the characters. This book has a lot of young but mature love that my heart ate up.

The sex scenes in this book are so well written and encompass that young and insatiable feeling. These were some of the best screens I've read. Intense and sexy and just fun.

There was a really good sweet spot from the 60% to the 80% mark where it felt like it was on track to be an absolute favorite and then I think it got a little iffy for a few chapters, but in the end it was a really good book and I liked the ending.

[tidbitswithtoby]

Shiver - Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine - 3/5

My first book for both of them that was written outside of the Chicagoverse Collection.

What it's about: Jesse's best friend brings him to a sex club for the first time and there he meets a dominant named Salvatore.

Something to take with this review: I do think I was heavy handed on the negatives. I did enjoy a lot of this book and my negatives have nothing to do with style. It's well written and the story is fully developed and easy to comprehend.

A delicate thing to write is a character's reputation, especially with characters that hold a lot of power. This book is a good example of that with Salvatore. To me it felt like a lot of unnecessary build up that took too much time to actually get to the good part, it makes it not worth it. To me if a character is a badass I need to be shown, not just told, of their reputation. It comes off as cheesy otherwise. They do show small glimpses of Salvatore 'being a badass' but he always says he's capable of worse and to just 'wait and see' but I spent about 60% of the book waiting and seeing what he was truly capable of. That being said, part of the fantasy of a book like this is the totally in control unstoppable force corrupting the innocent and naive one.

A big part of this book is the Sub/Dom relationship which can be tricky and hard not to come off as immature. I'd say this book is about a 4 out of 5. I think the authors took their time and made sure to research what a relationship like that looks like and I enjoyed reading it.

Honestly I think this book surprised me because I had no idea what to expect. I get the allure and passion between the two. I wonder if maybe I was in the wrong headspace while reading it because as good as it was I also just didn't care. I kept waiting to fall in love with it, for there to be that one moment that made me say 'This! This is what I've been looking for!' and unfortunately that moment never came. I always felt like something was missing.

[tidbitswithtoby]

Inside Affair - Ella Frank - 5/5

Chicagoverse Collection

Prime Time Series - Book 1 of 3

What it's about: Alexander receives a death threat and is in need of a bodyguard. He reaches out to his best friends brother, Sean, who is a detective.

Aside from Temptation, this might be my favorite Ella Frank series yet. I 100% recommend this one. I was hooked almost instantly and I loved both characters right away.

My last few Chicagoverse reads weren't really doing it for me. The author for me is definitely a comfort. I know the plots are never too complicated or messy and I know I like her style and typically has a mature vibe. But my main motivator for the last few was writing the reviews and I wasn't there for the actual story. I expected this one to be more of the same but I was so happy when it turned out to be the exact opposite.

The 'pretend relationship' trope is a delicate one and really hard to do in a genuine way that doesn't feel rushed or cheesy. I was so glad that it was done so well.

It was surprisingly fun and playful despite some of the serious situations they were in. I really loved this slow yet intense heat that built between them. I was dying for book two and three before I even finished book one.

Book two and three do not have written reviews.

Breaking News - 5/5

Headlines - 4/5

[tidbitswithtoby]

Fakers - Lucy Lennox & May Archer - 3/5

Lickin Thicket Series - Book 1 of 3

What it's about: Brooks returns home with a fake boyfriend to escape his family trying to make him get back together with his ex girlfriend. His ex girlfriend also brought home a fake boyfriend, Mal, who is also a gay guy.

I have no idea what made me stick with this book, but let’s just say it surprised me. The first chapter is very dramatic and the entire book is southern stereotypes galore, but that was kind of the point of a book like this. It’s your typical romance novel that always get labeled as cheesy.

It was a pretty easy read and the dramatics lightened up after the first few chapters. It felt a lot like a comedy show on ABC where it’s just this side of immature, but the story is captivating enough that you want to keep going.

It was a fairly neutral story for me, but the sex scenes were nice and the whole book was pretty cute. I did think the ending was drug out just a little, but I still a good read.

[tidbitswithtoby]

Endangered Species - Onley James - 2/5

Time Served Series - Book 1 of 3

What it’s about: Cyrus was found guilty of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. His step brother Nicky, who was six when Cy was sent away, is framed and sent to prison and they meet again.

Based on the summary I assumed the book may have some cheesy aspects. I’ve never read anything about a prison, but from my limited knowledge, I’d say it was believable. I’ve been a big fan of Onley James for a while and I’ve read her Necessary Evils and it’s one of my favorite series, it’s so well written and I was fully encompassed in the story.

That being said, I think this series was written before that one and there was room for improvement. The storyline is strong and I was immediately hooked and wanted to see more, but it moved so fast that I felt like I didn’t get to feel and fully be absorbed in their connection before they jumped into sex, “no one ever felt like this” kind of sex that after 20 years apart and the fact that Nicky was 6 the last time Cy saw him, seemed too fast. If you've read Headcase, also by Onley James, you'll love the dynamic and the sex between these two. I went into it thinking I would love it as much as the Necessary Evils Series, but it's just not the same. I did still have a nice time reading it. That’s the thing about books and reading multiple series by the same author, everyone starts somewhere and not every book will be perfect or be able to please everyone.

I will not be finishing this series.

[tidbitswithtoby]

Dysfunctional - Isabel Lucero - 5/5

Read it. I don't care what you're doing, read it.

What it's about: A stalker and a killer find themselves in the same small town and are fascinated with each other.

If you loved Dexter this is a book that was made for you. It is dark and a little on the bloody side. These two characters pulling me in from the get go. I picked it up at 11pm and didn't stop until I finished it at 5am. It immediately rivals my top five favorites and my love for this story is soul deep. I can be picky with writing, but this book hit every YES button I could even think of. They’re killers with slightly decent moral compasses. If you enjoyed the Necessary Evils series by Onley James, I recommend this book 100 times over.

It wasn't cheesy in the slightest and that is so hard to do with a story like this. It was so well rounded and planned and their twisted love for each other was perfect. I felt like I was watching a movie that I never wanted to end. For as dark and twisted as this story is, it’s actually not too heavy.

The smut, omg the smut. Seriously some of the best.

[tidbitswithtoby]

Quick Reviews - June

This is such a late time to post this, but I figured it was about time. A lot of these don't have written reviews because I decided to just let myself read without trying to pick everything apart. If a title is blank it means I haven't read it. July will be posted at the end of the month.

Where The Devil Don’t Go - Onley James - 1/5

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Time Served - Onley James - I will not finish

Endangered Species - 2/5

Dangerous Breed

Domesticated Beast

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Prime Time Series - Ella Frank

Inside Affair - 5/5

Breaking News - 5/5

Headlines - 4/5

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Dysfunctional - Isabel Lucero - 5/5

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Licking Thicket - Lucy Lennox & May Archer

Fakers - 3/5

Liars

Fools

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Beautiful Monsters - Jex Lane

Captive - 4/5

Sire - 5/5

Broken - 5/5

Stone Sentinel - Novella - 3/5

Blood Prince - TBD

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Folk - Lily Mayne

Mortal Skin - 5/5

Forgotten Vows - 5/5

Tbd - Tbd

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Fire and Brimstone - Nikole Knight

Revaluations - 3/5

Sacrifice - 3/5

Illusion - 3/5

Betrayal - 2/5

Redemption - 2/5

Elysium - 2/5

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Intentions Duet - Ella Frank

Bad Intentions - 3/5

Good Intentions - 4/5

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Prince's Assassin - Ariana Nash

Kind of the Dark - 5/5

Reign of Darkness - 5/5

Curse of the Dark Prince - 5/5

The Cottage - Novella

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Foxxxy Gentleman's Club - Nikole Knight

Luca - Prequel

Christian - 3/5

Angel - 4/5

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Fallocaust - Quil Carter

Fallocaust - 5/5

Breaking Jade - 5/5

The Ghost and The Darkness vul. 1 - 4/5

The Ghost and The Darkness vul. 2 - 5/5

Serving Sanguine - 3/5

The Suicide King vul. 1 - 4/5

The Suicide King vul. 2

Garden of Spiders vul. 1

Garden of Spiders vul. 2

A God Among Insects vul. 1

A God Among Insects vul. 2

A God Among Insects vul. 3

Garden of Spiders 2 House of Flies vul. 1 pt. 1

Overall Favorite: Fallocaust, I'm still actively reading the series and my opinion is constantly shifting, but still on the positive side. Dysfunctional rivals the top five books I’ve ever read, my love for this book is soul deep. Beautiful monsters series is pure perfection.

Standouts: Prime Time Series, Prince's Assassin. Everything by Lily Mayne.

[tidbitswithtoby]

Blood and Ice - Ariana Nash 5/5

Silk and Steel Series - Book 3 of 4

I really didn't know what to expect when I first started this series, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance. Every word was worth it. This will forever be a top choice for me.

I was beginning to get annoyed at them being kidnapped all the time, but the reason in this book actually made sense and I'm not annoyed anymore. It was necessary for them to go through some changes and come back together more whole.

This one is probably my favorite. As good as book one and two are, they didn't explain a lot of the how and why or overall history and if you've made it this far, I'm so happy to tell you this book provided so many answers that we really needed.

I think my only complaint was that Lysander and Eroan didn't talk enough? They spoke about the war and had sex abd there was dialogue, but we spent most of the time in their heads reading about their love for each other and all the things they feel without them really talking though everything. But honestly that's just personal preference and I loved these books.

This was the last book from Lysander and Eroan points of view. The fourth book is about Lysander's brother Akiem and I'm curious to see where that's going.

Silk and Steel

Iron and Fire

Blood and Ice

The Black Prince

[tidbitswithtoby]

Bailey - Ella Frank - 4/5

Chicagoverse Collection

Confessions Series - Book 6 of 6

I don't feel like I have much to add that I haven't already said in the previous book review. I will says some of the sex scenes in this book are hot as hell. I always love Ella Frank's smut scenes, they're some of my favorites.

I've read a decent amount of Ella Frank books at this point and I think my overall opinion is that they're really good comfort books. When I'm overwhelmed with big heavy knowledge books, I always know an Ella Frank book won't overstimulate me and it won't be overly complicated. It always has great writing and it's within a universe that doesn't take much brain power to imagine.

Confessions series:

Robbie

Julien

Priest

The princess, the prick, and the priest

Henri

Bailey

[tidbitswithtoby]

Quick Reviews - May

All Male on Male books.

All 5/5 reviews are definitely recommendations. I had a busy month so unfortunately, there aren't as many here as last month.

TBD - I haven't read, but will add the review when I have.

Malum Discordiae - Ashlyn Drewek - 5/5

Confessions - Ella Frank - 5/5

Robbie - 5/5

Julien - 5/5

Priest - 4/5

Princess, Prick, Priest - 5/5

Henri - 5/5

Bailey - 4/5

Orc Prince Trilogy - Lionel Hart

Claimed by the Orc Prince - 4/5

Blood of the Orc Prince - TBD

Ascension of the arc Prince - TBD

Sunset Cove - Ella Frank - 4/5

Finley - 5/5

Devil's Kiss - 4/5

Preslocke - Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine - 3/5

Aced - 4/5

Locked - 3/5

Wedlocked - 3/5

Silk and Steel - Ariana Nash - 5/5

Silk and Steel - 5/5

Iron and Fire - 5/5

Blood and Ice - 5/5

The Black Prince - TBD

Overall Favorites: Malum Discordiae. I loved every part of Malum Discordiae and it's a big recommendation from me. I also loved The Silk and Steel Series like crazy, definitely give that one a try.

[tidbitswithtoby]

Wedlocked - Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine - 3/5

Chicagoverse Collection

Preslocke Series - Book 3 of 3

I took a break in between book two and three and fell in love with a fantasy series about dragons and elves so I think when I came back to this I was fully disinterested, so my review is probably too biased to be helpful.

That's being said, I did enjoy the love story for what it was. It was fun and sweet and definitely felt like the perfect ending for these two characters. I did think the first chapter where they discussed locations was a little ridiculous and cheesy beyond belief, but it is a series about a movie star and a hot model so in a way, it fits perfectly. Plus it's make believe and who wouldn't want to have that perfect over the top trope to live vicariously through.

The one thing that pulled me back in when I least expected it was the sweetest, cutest montage of a ton of previous Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine characters reappearing through several chapters and it was like seeing all my old friends. It was super nostalgic and a really fun way to pass the time because it was written as though it were filmed.

Preslocke Series

Aced

Locked

Wedlocked

[tidbitswithtoby]

Locked - Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine - 3/5

Chicagoverse Collection

Preslocke Series - Book 2 of 3

Compared to book one, this book moves very fast. Like their entire relationship feels like it's on a fast track to get them to say I love you as fast as possible. I guess a lot of that has to do with the situation they're thrown in but it does pull me from the story a little because it doesn't feel believable yet for them to be in love, but hey it's a romance novel, what were we expecting lol.

My stance on this book is pretty neutral. I liked where the story went and some of the emotional aspects. It has this odd balance of 'lets deal with the logical emotional issues' and then jump head first into 'cheesy way too fast, we love each other' and because of that I love and don't love it.

As far as whether to read the series or not, it's not bad. I've read way worse, and the style and overall plot is good and the smut is honestly really good. I'm not dying to turn the page, but it felt like a soft comfort series that didn't have too much drama or weight.

Preslocke Series

Aced

Locked

Wedlocked

[tidbitswithtoby]

Aced - Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine 4/5

Chicagoverse Collection

Preslocke Series - Book 1 of 3

What it's about: Ace is an actor who recently came out as gay and has difficulty feeling comfortable putting any possible relationship in the public eye. Dylan is a model who recently moved to California and is working on his first movie with Ace.

I've been looking for a change in pace and damn did I get it. This book was really lighthearted and fun and didn't have too much drama.

I also love that it was in 1st person and from two points of view. I'm pretty comfortable with Ella Frank's writing style and it's like a warm bubble and since it's also written by Brooke Blaine, who I've never read before, it puts a refreshing vibe over the whole book. Which was appreciated since I've read 7 Ella Frank books back to back and was getting a little 'bored' or just too much of a similar thing.

I love how Dylan handles everything with Ace and that he doesn't have the stereotypical reactions that a lot of people in books have. It was also just fun to learn more about him since Dylan is a small side character in Devil's Kiss and you don't really know anything about him.

The sex scenes throughout the book were so good. Honestly some of my favorites.

Preslocke Series

Aced

Locked

Wedlocked

[tidbitswithtoby]

Henri - Ella Frank - 4/5

Chicagoverse Collection

Confessions Series - Book 5 of 6

What it's about: Henri, a man who stays in the shadows and walks the line between bad and good, shows up to a wedding and meets Bailey who is a cop and also a guest and they have an immediate spark.

I enjoyed this book, I've been dying to see Henri's story since he was first mentioned and it did not disappoint.

Not a lot happens, but the chemistry and the heat is pretty intense. Overall it was an easy going and sexy story. Their feelings for each other start out intense and develop pretty quickly. I personally don't agree that they could fall in love this quickly, but I did really like their story.

For me it doesn't compare to how much I absolutely loved the other four books in this series. Maybe it's because I think they should have been their own sub-series outside of this one. I think it's because I got so used to the mindset of Robbie, Julien, and Priest that without the separation of a sub-series, it was hard for my brain to change course.

I stand by my opinion that they fell in love a little too quickly, but their relationship is so sweet and all consuming and I enjoyed it a lot. Sometimes you just want to read about a love that is so intense that nothing exists outside of it.

Confessions series:

Robbie

Julien

Priest

The princess, the prick, and the priest

Henri

Bailey

[tidbitswithtoby]

Iron and Fire - Ariana Nash - 5/5

Silk and Steel Series - Book 2 of 4

I loved book two just as much as I loved book one. The author's writing style is consistent and there is always logic and reason behind their decisions. They never rush you though to just get to the next thing. This series is more than just a love story and I can't say how thankful I am. It's quickly one of my top ten series ever.

It was still graphic in some places but nowhere near as dark as book one. There were a few predictable situations, but honestly that's my only complaint.

Silk and Steel

Iron and Fire

Blood and Ice

The Black Prince