Dropping Like Flies by HL Day

Dropping Like Flies by H.L. Day
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved it!

Slow burn second chance fated romance, didn’t think a second chance fated romance was possible, but there it is.

Happy ever after for the couple, but the overarching plot continues. Ok to read as a standalone, (I did) but I’m definitely going to read the first book.

Necromancer x chief inspector detective romance work together to find a killer on the loose.

Slow burn between the MCs but not unspicy. There were spice peppered throughout. Would you count it cheating if fated mates were not with each other but hooked up with other people?

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Book Review: Praise You (Beaumont University #3) by Ashley Rayne

Praise You by Ashley Rayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a rather slow burn romance despite the live session in the beginning. It was interesting to see how the author was going to solve the issue with the two of them not knowing who each other was. I like the approach that she came up with, usually the two skirt around the issue a little bit more, and discover it accidentally. The two just had chemistry and wanted to spend more time together.

Wasn’t sure how I’d like the cam boy aspect of the book, but it was actually pretty good and didn't even really come up that much. ((view spoiler)[I love how towards the end, the roommates were like, you're so loud, in your room, what were you doing? (hide spoiler)])And by the time I had started reading about Ronan, I’d completely forgotten about Noah and Asher (book 2), so it was a little distracting to be remembering (mentioning) about Noah. Also if you didn’t read about Noah, the issues he had were not discussed at all in this book, so he just disappears and your kinda left wondering what happened. The author did state she tried to write it without spoilers as their stories overlapped a little.

It was also nice that there wasn't really a third act break up with the two of them, nor any big conflict of interest in the student/teacher part of the rules. The dean was pretty cool, and it was refreshing to have such a cool authority figure in school.

This book didn't have too much angst, it was a nice even keel read. Like a feel good romcom.

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Mage of the Dragon Prince

Release Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Mage of the Dragon Prince
By Ariella Zoelle Writing as Zarina Aston

Bonded Hearts, Book 1

A twist of fate brings a human mage to the past to fall in love with a dragon shifter prince. But will it also tear them apart before they can bond as fated mates?  

Auslin accidentally steps back in time, where he crosses paths with Kitaro, a charming dragon shifter prince. Forced to rely on the alluring stranger, Auslin places his trust in the hands of Prince Kitaro.

When they embark on a perilous journey to return Auslin to his rightful era, the fated mates discover a love that transcends time. But dangers lurking in the shadows conspire to keep them apart, threatening to unravel their fragile bond before it fully forms.

As they navigate treacherous challenges and powerful adversaries, Auslin and Kitaro must confront the ultimate question: can their love withstand the twists of fate that brought them together, or will it ultimately be the force that tears them apart? 

Mage of the Dragon Prince is the first book of the Bonded Hearts series and part of the Talwyn Saga universe. Full of dramatic twists and turns, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. The story continues in future books, which will lead to a happily ever after.

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Excerpt:

Chapter 3: Auslin

Sleep was slow to leave Auslin in the morning. He lingered in an unaware state, enjoying the warmth embracing him. It was a comfort he was loath to let go of in favor of wakefulness. He snuggled deeper into the comfort with a contented sigh, loving when he was held tighter.

It had been so long since Kio had held him like that—and that’s when Auslin remembered it couldn’t be Kio behind him. His eyes flew open, and he saw a pale arm around him with silver shifter markings. Auslin scrambled back with an alarmed noise as he turned to see a naked man.

Brushing his long, silver-white hair from his face and opening his eyes, the shifter blinked sleepily as he looked at Auslin questioningly with startlingly familiar ice-blue eyes. Auslin’s heart raced when their gazes met. The shifter in front of him looked like a much younger Kitsuki. But unlike the ruler, the person in front of him had both arms, different colored hair, and a brighter aura.

Although the dragon monarch looked to be in his thirties in human years, Auslin knew he was over a thousand years old. The shifter in front of him appeared to be equivalent to a twenty-something-year-old human male in age, but he was probably still several hundred years old.

He was a stunningly beautiful creature in seductive repose, which made Auslin’s heart pound for a different reason altogether. The shifter had shimmering silver markings that sensuously caressed his entire body. They were proof that he was an immensely powerful shifter.

Auslin knew Kitsuki had similar lines on the back of his hand, the sides of his neck, and chest, but they were much darker and didn’t swirl with energy like he had seen with other shifters before. He had always assumed Kitsuki had markings on the rest of his body, like a shifter of his rank was supposed to. But Auslin had no way of knowing how extensive they were since he had never seen him undressed before. And for some reason, thinking of the dragon monarch naked brought heat to his cheeks.

But none of that changed the fact that Auslin was looking at an impossible person. He couldn’t make sense of it at all.

When he continued silently staring, the shifter propped himself up on his elbow. He asked in a rumbling voice deepened by sleep, “Is it a human custom to awaken with such fear?”

It was not the reaction Auslin had been expecting. “It is when you wake up in bed naked with a stranger!”

“You fear me as a man but not as a dragon? What sense does that make? Humans are such curious creatures.”

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Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of Mage of the Dragon Prince, Zarina is giving away copies of the release!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57905/?

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Check out the Prequel:
Enchanter of Dragons

Bonded Hearts, Prequel

A unicorn shifter is the last of his kind. Can a royal dragon shifter save him from being hunted?

Captured by a cruel king, Fersen is close to succumbing to the shadows of despair. But hope flickers to life when General Jaega is his unexpected savior.

After Jaega’s mate was murdered during the Necromancer War, the dragon prince had given up on love. The last thing he expects to discover is his new fated mate is the last living unicorn shifter.

Fersen is finally free, but the danger isn’t over yet. The sudden arrival of his heat makes a bad situation even worse.

Jaega knows he should keep his distance like a gentleman, but how can he resist his instincts demanding they consummate their mating bond?

Enchanter of Dragons is the prequel to the Bonded Hearts series and part of the Talwyn Saga universe. It is a complete story that can be read as a standalone.

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About the Author:

With a pen as her wand and a heart full of mischief, Zarina Aston conjures up fantasy worlds where queer love knows no bounds. Her stories are like a kaleidoscope of emotions, filled with passionate encounters and heart-stopping adventures with shifters. From the first page to the last, Zarina's books are a whirlwind of dramatic twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, turning pages long into the night.

But sometimes Zarina’s in the mood for something with a little less angst and drama. If you’re craving light-hearted fluffy works of heart, then check out her Ariella Zoelle books as well.

For real time updates on Zarina’s writing progress, please join her Facebook group for exclusive teasers or follow her on Twitter or Instagram. You can also sign up for her newsletter to gain access to bonus chapters, previews of upcoming books, and more.

Newsletter: https://www.zarinaaston.com/newsletter
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Book Review: Tongue Tied by Christina Lee

💛💛💛

Part of the FU2 Series

Now available on KU 

What a sweet, sweet, story. I’ve enjoyed Christina Lee’s previous college romance story from Roosevelt U, so I was rather looking forward to this one. 

It’s slow burn, best friends and fake dating in one. It’s like these two have been a couple from the start, and just finally added the intimacy elements to their relationship. Even 2-3 dates into their fake dating, they still didn’t want to ruin the friendship if they started going out, that was frustrating to me, but I guess I needed them to work that out on their own in due time.

I also love Kael, what an adorable scene stealing new friend. I would love it if there was a novella about him and Angelica.

So this Brandon character just kinda appears and disappears in the book with no back story except that he’s this guy that Austin was into, but I feel like he wouldn’t be placed in the book so prominently without more to the story, so maybe he’s a spin off character for another story, but I have no clue on that and it just left me wondering.

Also I love when Austin gets tongue-tied and jumbles up his sentence. 

There is no sports in this book. 

BTW, this story fits right in with the Popped Anthology that was recently released, with Austin being a virgin.

So read this for:

Virgin MC

Best friends to Lovers

Fake Dating

Blurb:

Confessing feelings for your best friend takes being tongue-tied to a whole new level.
 
AUSTIN
Dex has always been my best friend, so it’s no surprise that we attend Franklin U together. We’re complete opposites. Dex is charismatic and outgoing. Me? Let’s just say I wish I could infuse some of his confidence into my veins. Making friends is hard enough, but trying to meet guys, even with Dex’s help? I’m useless. Maybe it’s because Dex is all about hooking up, but I want my first time to be straight out of the pages of the romance novels I read.
 
DEX
After a string of mishaps, I swore off helping Austin land guys. But when he asks me to show him the ropes with practice sessions, I get the feeling he’s desperate. Our dates are pretend, so why am I getting so into them? I want to make Austin happy, but the line between friendship and something more is getting really damned blurry. The fluttery feeling, that electric energy every time we touch…it’s addicting. I’m getting overprotective, not only of my time with Austin, but with douchebags who might break his heart.
 
Eventually, the pretending has to end so Austin can strike out on his own. But how do I tell him I’m not ready to let him go, when every attempt at confessing leaves me tongue-tied?

Book Review: Stick Lessons by Crea Reitan

Stick Lessons by Crea Reitan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Atty and Toby totally grabbed my attention and demanded I go along for the ride. I love how they met, it’s really something that all single people think about when they head to Medieval Times for a performance, no? (Just me? Ok then) Such a Buena Park experience that place, definitely reminding me of my high school days. Atty and Toby just worked for me, there wasn’t even a third act breakup, every obstacle was handled with communication and the story was just light hearted, fun and definitely very very spicy. It hits the right spot.

This is one of those books that is in a hockey series, but doesn’t have a lot of sport in it, despite the MC being a hockey player and the other MC being a hockey fan. It’s mostly about their explosive dynamic and one MC figuring out his attraction to the other MC. If you come to this book thinking it’ll be lots of hockey, then put it down until you want a book that does not contain lots of sports. This is not that book for you. But if you’re looking for k1nk and fun times, then this is the book for you.

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Feral by Mia Monroe

Rating:3.5 star

Release date: June 12, 2024

Order here: https://getbook.at/WickedNightsAtLair

Went into this book semi-blind. I read the blurb (see below), it perked my interest enough to read it, but by the time that I actually got around to it, I’d forgotten all about it, hence the semi-blind part.

So it’s about a strong farm boy who moves to the big city seeking something, and it turns out that something is his fated mate, who is a vampire. The farm boy meets this vampire pretty recent during his move to the big city, and things happen fast after they meet. Farm boy falls in love and the vampire and is turned pretty quickly into a vampire himself after their meeting. 

As this is a spin off series, the author doesn’t go into much detail about the other characters from the book, which can be a good thing, as to not clog up the book with facts old readers already know, but as a new reader I’d have prefer a bit more detail about Lair and the coven.

The storyline seems to move a bit fast for me, maybe it being a shorter book, a lot of fluff is taken out, but the events sorta move a lot quicker. Like how Yannis goes to the Lair one day and then he takes a job there the next, then pretty much falls in lust/love with Hale. Like I get that they are mates, but… gimme some struggle to work with here. There isn’t even a third-act breakup, but it does leave me wondering what sort of mafia trouble is this series going to stir up since the mafia things seemed kinda left unfinished.

Also there seemed to be a lot of talking it through, so maybe this book would be suited for those who love lots of dialogue.  

At the end of the story there doesn’t seem to be a linking story for book 2 of the series… I’m guess that the brother would be a good one to feature, but no clues really are given for a book 2. 

While I’m not madly in love with this book boyfriend, I would recommend him to others who would enjoy this story about vampires.

 

Tropes

*Vampires

*no angst, just straight up lust

*Insta-love

* Age gap, but like vampire age and human age

* Fated Mates

* No helpless damsel-in-distress here

*Mafia (but they are painted as villains)

*Pan-awakening, or maybe it’s just vamp-awakening

*no third act breakup

*Vers

Blurb:

He’s danger and desire wrapped up in one person. I’m not into guys, but I can’t stay away.
 
I came to New Onyx seeking opportunities and experiences, trading my small-town existence for a big-city one. I never expected to stumble upon a place like Lair, a nightclub that captures all of life’s hedonistic pleasures. Working there is…interesting, and I’m learning that there’s so much more to the world than I ever knew.
 
Hale is a charismatic, alluring man with a wild streak, and meeting him leads me down a path of self-discovery, desire, and danger I never thought possible. I’ve never had feelings for a man before, but there’s something undeniable about him. He’s possessive and overbearing, but somehow, those qualities intrigue me.
 
When faced with a problem that threatens all that I hold dear, it’s Hale I lean on to get me through it. He helps unleash a side of me I didn’t know existed that turns my life on its head. With Hale by my side, things are about to get feral.
 
Feral is book one in Wicked Nights at Lair, an Immortal Assassins spin-off series. You can expect a hunky farm boy with a heart of gold in the big city, a wounded vampire doing his best to be civilized, a city full of bad guys who need to learn a lesson, a steamy nightclub setting with a touch of k*nk, fated mates, bisexual awakening, family ties, cameo appearances, tons of heat, and two men embracing their feral sides.

Say You'll Be Jasmine by F. A. Ray

Book Review

Say You’ll Be Jasmine by F.A. Ray (Boyfriend Cafe book 6) 

Book Launch: June 11, 2024

Available on 'zon

Really loving how Avery was the one that wrapped up the Boyfriend Cafe series. They have been holding down the fort since the last book and it's time now for them to fly. I loved how Avery was able to find their HEA, or maybe it's a HFN since they are younger with someone so perfect for them. It's just a sweet sweet story with appropriate open door thrown in. 

Diego moved away from his small town to broaden his horizon and met Avery, this enchanting person on his first night in town. Diego tries to forget his attraction to Avery, but Avery does not let him even when Diego turns out to be a TA in their class.

"I SWEAR I'm not here because I think my TA is hot. Okay, I'm not here just because I think myTA is hot. He's the first person I've ever met who actually wants to listen to me ramble about historical documents on gender presentation."

I really love how this book was more about Avery's non-binary journey to finding love. I've never read a romance story featuring a non-binary main character, and it was nice to see things from their point of view.  Although this is book 6 of the series, no prior reading is required, this one works good as a standalone. 

Read this if you like:

MX collegiate romance

TA/Student Romance

Spicy Open Door scenes

Sweet sweet story

Some Age gap

Small town to "big city"

Binary MC

Off topic- one of the things I like about reading queer romance is learning how the difference people identify and how it affects them, it's as much as educational as entertaining to read.

I'm looking forward to see what else this author has to offer.

Following is the BLURB:

The semester hasn’t even started and I’ve already spent a night at my own student’s house. And I know they want more.

Diego

Leaving my small town in Wisconsin for a big university was terrifying. Breaking down in front of a student’s house was even more terrifying. The attraction between that student and myself is the most terrifying thing of all.

Avery is beautiful, intelligent, bold and non-binary. They’re unlike anyone I’ve ever known, and I’m hopelessly drawn to them despite my best intentions.

When Avery drags me out to a drag show, the change of scenery, the darkness, the club music — it weakens my defenses. Once I finally give in, is there any going back? Or is Avery a temptation I simply can’t resist?

Avery

My plate is beyond full. I’m taking care of my friend’s house, running the Boyfriend Café, trying to finish my degree — oh, and crushing on my hot new TA.

I really don’t need to make my life even more complicated, but when the guy whose car breaks down in front of my house turns out to be my TA, there’s no going back. I can’t help flirting with Diego, but he’s terrified of crossing the line.

I am not.

I’m going to convince this man to give in to what he wants, no matter how hard I have to work for it.

Say You’ll Be Jasmine is a TA/student MX romance with a non-binary main character, some firsts, a slight age gap and spicy open door scenes.