Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Hero

SERIES: Wolves of Royal Paynes #1

AUTHOR: Kiki Burrelli

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 247 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 19, 2020

BLURB:

Mercenaries. Outcasts. Alphas.

Knox knows all the five of them have left now is each other. That, and the driving desire to find who had slaughtered their pack and make that person pay.

But investigating a tragedy with only rubble as evidence requires money and time. Knox can find one and use it to buy the other. They may be the last remaining members of a once thriving pack, but they are no strangers to taking the types of jobs that would keep lesser men awake at night.

Finding and returning some young punk to his rich, asshole father shouldn’t be all that difficult.

Jazz Whitten lives as he likes, always. Since leaving home when he was young, he’s operated under a single rule, never stay where you aren’t wanted. Using his unique ability and the sleight of hand he’s perfected over the years, life as a fugitive isn’t that bad. It’s lonely at times, but freedom is more important than companionship.

But when Jazz comes head to head with the latest team hired by his father, he forgets his own rule. He knows it is money, not affection that keeps the team on his tail. Their leader, Knox, is merciless and focused, but there’s something else about the man. It isn’t his kindness—Knox is a brute and unfortunately for Jazz, he’s smart too—but Knox radiates a type of pain that Jazz is all too familiar with.

Jazz is as slippery as he is sexy and it takes every trick Knox has to catch up with him. But when he does, how will the stone-cold mercenary ever give him up?

Hero is the first book in the Wolves of Royal Paynes series. It is an action-packed, swelteringly hot, mpreg romance that introduces a world of intrigue, mystery, and magic. For maximum enjoyment, this series should be read in order.

Wolves of Royal Paynes:

Hero

Ruler

Lovers

Outlaw

Wolves of Royal Paynes is the second series in the Wolves of World. Though the series are connected, they may be read on their own for maximum enjoyment..

Wolves of World:

Wolves of Walker County

Wolves of Royal Paynes

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Project Hero

AUTHOR:  Briar Prescott

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  251 pages

RELEASE DATE:  March 26, 2020

BLURB:

What if you accidentally fell in love with the right guy?

Andy:
If my life was a movie, I would be the sidekick. Not an especially promising start when my plan is to finally let my best friend know I have a crush on him. No worries, though. I have a plan. I just need a complete makeover. Change everything about myself so that when Falcon returns from his summer vacation, he can finally see I’m the love of his life. I totally know what I’m doing here.
Well, not really.
If I knew what I was doing, I wouldn’t look like every nerd cliché wrapped into one awkward package.
In short, I’m screwed.
But then Law Anderson enters the picture…

Law:
It’s all very simple. I need somebody to tutor my hockey team, and Andy needs somebody to help him with his crush. Sounds like a match made in heaven.
Only the more time I spend with Andy, the more I like this quirky guy who makes me laugh, and pretty soon I’m the one who’s tutoring Andy in way more than we initially agreed upon.
It’s fine.
I have it all under control.
But as weeks pass and the chemistry between us turns explosive, I’m starting to think that I might be in way over my head with Andy.
If only I could make Andy realize that he doesn’t need to change himself for love. If only I could make Andy see that he just needs to be with somebody who has considered him perfect all along.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Blood Sucker

SERIES: Serial Investigations #4

AUTHOR: Rhiannon D’Averc

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 232 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2020

BLURB:

A dead body posted on social media. A vampire stalking the streets of London?

Will and Ram’s private detective partnership seems to be unravelling. After they ended up sleeping together, the tension between them is at an all-time high – and the unsolved Simon Shystone case is haunting them and their police contacts.

DI Alex Heath normally wants their help, but when a murderer posts images of his victim on social media, the chase is on to trace his digital footprint. With his superiors breathing down his neck, he might not be able to bring Serial Investigations London in on one of the biggest cases of their career.

They should be focusing on the artist who seems to have disappeared without a trace from his home studio. Could his latest commission have something to do with it? And will they be able to handle finding another client turned up dead?

Things are spiralling out of control for Will and Ram – and this time, they might not have each other to rely on.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Dark Justice

SERIES: The Asylum Fight Club #6

AUTHOR: Tibby Armstrong & Bianca Sommerland

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 513 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2020

BLURB:

Gravity is just another force to overcome.

Renowned aerial artist Avery Dylan has a secret. He’s not who he seems to be. A mercenary by trade, he’s been activated by his handlers in a desperate move to bring down an impossible-to-reach target inside the infamous Asylum Fight Club.

When his high wire act proves easier to execute than one elusive submissive, Avery must resort to more than slithering silks and suggestive moves to breach the club’s defenses. Infiltrating its security requires sneaking past its most carefully guarded boundary—Rhodey Leonov’s heart.

But this is one drop that could kill.

When emotions distract from a mission, it never ends well. For the other guy. There are more headstones in Rhodey Leonov’s past than notches on his belt, which is a track record he lives with. Literally. Being unstoppable keeps his family safe. They may hate his methods, but so long as they’re in one piece, he can live with that.

Until an attack on The Asylum’s newest member reveals a weakness Rhodey can’t let stand. Having Avery recover in his bed for a few days could be a lethal mistake, though Rhodey’s not quite ready to reach for the shovel… Unless it’s to dig himself into the dark pit he’s escaped for so long. With a sub whose sweetness might be nothing but venom.

For both men, love isn’t an option, because falling only leads to one place…

A shallow grave.

Reviewed by Cindy

TITLE: Silk Dragon Salsa

SERIES: Kai Gracen Series book 4

AUTHOR: Rhys Ford

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 202 Pages

RELEASE DATE: July 14, 2020

BLURB:

SoCalGov Stalker Kai Gracen always knew Death walked in his shadow. Enough people told him that, including his human mentor, Dempsey. Problem was, the old man never told him what to do when Death eventually caught up.

Where Tanic, his elfin father and the Wild Hunt Master of the Unsidhe Court, brought Kai pain and suffering, Dempsey gave him focus and a will to live… at least until everything unraveled. Now caught in a web of old lies and half-truths, Kai is torn between the human and elfin worlds, unsure of who he is anymore. Left with a hollowness he can’t fill, Kai aches to find solace in the one elfin he trusts—a Sidhe Lord named Ryder—but he has unfinished business with Dempsey’s estranged brother, a man who long ago swore off anything to do with the feral elfin child Dempsey dragged up from the gutter.

Reeling from past betrayals, Kai searches for Dempsey’s brother, hoping to do right by the man who saved him while trying to keep ahead of the death haunting his every step. Kai never thought he’d find love or happiness as a Stalker, but when Death comes knocking at his door, Kai discovers a fierce need to live life to the fullest—even if that means turning his back on the people he calls family.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Blood Alcohol

SERIES: Serial Investigations #3

AUTHOR: Rhiannon D’Averc

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 178 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 30, 2019

BLURB:

A horrific torture case with a ticking clock.

All he can see is the bottle.

Private detectives Ram and Will thought they’d wrapped everything up when they found Ray Riley’s body in Sevenoaks. But it turns out that things aren’t what they seemed – and Riley may be the latest victim of a torture-happy murderous duo.

For the second time, Serial Investigations London are called in to assist as civilian consultants with DI Alex Heath’s team at the Met – but they have their own personal problems getting in the way of clear thinking.

Will has something to get off his chest, and it’s related to that kiss they shared – the one they both tried to forget. But Ram can’t stop drinking to push away the confusion, and this time he’s going to land himself in more trouble than ever before.

Can they get over their issues for long enough to stop another murder – or even keep themselves alive?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Fight for Me

SERIES: With Me #7

AUTHOR: Kris Jacen

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 103 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2020

BLURB:

Sergeant First Class Remington Clemson is praying that his latest assignment in battalion operations is going to be his ticket to the promotion list. He just needs a break after the last deployment and the fallout from the investigation into the rogue platoon. Rem hadn’t been on the ground when they lost their collective mind, but the entire company felt the wrath of the commanders. If he could get the images he saw out of his mind, then maybe he could give up the alcohol.

Noah Mullvaney grew up a military brat watching his father and “uncles” deploy regularly. His mom made every house a home, but he remembers his mother’s stress with his father overseas and all he brought home with him. Losing part of his hearing from a ruptured eardrum made Noah’s life a bit more of a struggle each time they moved. He’s hoping that getting his masters at Gallaudet, will help him move beyond the little boy with hearing problems to someone that can help children like him.

When two men on different paths that are fighting to gain acceptance meet, will their individual fights push them apart or make them stronger…together?

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Beta’s Love

SERIES: Irresistible Omegas #9

AUTHOR: Nora Phoenix

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 298 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2020

BLURB:

Lucan knows Maz and Sando are his mates. So why can’t they see it?

Beta Lucan has seen pack members around him fall in love and find happiness. His road to love seems a lot more complicated, however.

It’s not that he doesn’t know who he wants. He does. His chemistry with sexy alpha doctor Maz was instant, and his friendship with nerdy omega Sando has grown into love.

The problem? Maz doesn’t want a relationship, and Sando is clueless.

Looks like it’s all up to Lucan to make them realize the three of them belong together. But what if they never see it? Will his love be enough?

Beta’s Love is book 9 in the Irresistible Omegas series, a bestselling mpreg romance series which needs to be read in order to enjoy the plot lines fully. This friends to lovers MMM romance ends a cliffhanger, but these three will get their happy ever after in the next book, Omega’s Truth.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Boyfriend Material

AUTHOR: Alexis Hall

PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Casablanca

LENGTH: 432 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2020

BLURB:

Wanted:

One (fake) boyfriend

Practically perfect in every way

Luc O’Donnell is tangentially–and reluctantly–famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he’s never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad’s making a comeback, Luc’s back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship…and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He’s a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he’s never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that’s when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don’t ever want to let them go.

REVIEWED by Jay V.

TITLE: The Extraordinaries

AUTHOR: TJ Klune

SERIES: The Extraordinaries #1

PUBLISHER: Tor Teen

LENGTH: 400 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 14, 2020

BLURB:

Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra.

Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right?

After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick’s best friend (and maybe the love of his life).

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Deven and the Dragon 

AUTHOR: Eliot Grayson

PUBLISHER: Smoking Teacup Books

LENGTH: 229 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2020

BLURB:

The beast doesn’t ever really get a fairytale ending…does he?

Deven’s mission is clear. All he has to do is convince the dragon to give up one of his magical scales. Lies, deception, seduction—nothing is off-limits. It should be easy. But it isn’t. Especially not when said dragon is so alluring in human form. It’s not long before Deven starts to want something way more valuable than a scale from his beautiful beast. But how do you convince a dragon to give you his heart when your entire relationship was built on deceit?

Fiora is cursed. Love can kill him. Literally kill him. So keeping his mind (and hands) off the devilishly handsome Deven shouldn’t be a challenge. But it is. Deven’s entirely too warm, too attractive, too…everything to resist. And spending time with the lovable human makes Fiora question what’s more frightening—the curse, or the possibility of a life without Deven by his side.

If they want a shot at happily ever after, Deven and Fiora will need to break the potentially deadly curse and overcome all the secrets that stand between them. Easy, right?

They wish…

This book is an explicit M/M romance with an absurd cloak worn during the summer, a dragon who hoards—well, it isn’t gold, and some extremely angry parents who can breathe fire.

Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Hard Knox

AUTHOR: Riley Hart

SERIES: Havenwood #3

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 224 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2020

BLURB:

Callum

A gay guy walks into a straight bar and notices the hottest man he’s ever seen…

Why am I not surprised my life sounds like the beginning of a bad joke? First, my ex cheated on me, and I went running to Havenwood and the mom I have a complicated relationship with. Then, there’s Knox, the gorgeous lumberjack I don’t stand a chance with. To top it off, he’s more than just a pretty face, and I start to fall for him. Knox is kind, funny, honorable, quickly becoming my best friend, and unfortunately, straight with a capital S.

Knox

My life has taken a few unexpected turns lately. First, the new guy in town, Callum, has me strangely confused. Then my son, Logan, comes to live with me. He connects with Callum instantly, and I do too. Before we know it, he’s become a daily fixture in our lives, making us laugh, calling me his lumberjack and making this foreign warmth spread inside me.

It doesn’t matter that I’ve never been with a guy before–one kiss from Cal, and it’s clear I’m bi. He turns me upside down. With every laugh, every conversation, every touch and exploration, I fall harder. Sneaking around isn’t ideal, but there’s a lot for us to consider. All I know is I need him. Life has a funny way of throwing a wrench into your plans, though, and things become a mess. But then I’m reminded that while nothing in life is guaranteed, not even love, what Callum and I have built is worth fighting for.

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Spell of the Werewolf

AUTHOR: J.R. Loveless

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 127 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 29, 2020

BLURB:

A werewolf with a death wish bargains with a hunter for salvation.

Justin has spent several lifetimes atoning for the violent nature of his curse. A mindless angry beast several nights a month, he carries a burden of blood for past sins. Tired and lonely, he’s seeking an end to his torment.

Vincent bears the curse, though only by half. A hybrid, he hunts those of his brethren who let their monsters take over. And he’s hell bent on destroying them all, until he’s forced to deal with one who’s begging for peace. Except deliverance wears many guises.

Their desire for redemption erupts in a fiery passion drawing them closer together

Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Falling Awake

SERIES: Falling Awake #1

AUTHOR: Kristoffer Gair

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 85 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 18, 2018

BLURB:

Imagine waking up in a place you can’t remember, with a face you don’t recognize, and a name that may not be your own printed on a ticket in your back pocket. And of the five people you meet during the next few hours, four of them hold clues to your past, present, and two possible futures. The outcome of the encounter will determine your soul’s fate, and the only way out of the nightmare may be through falling awake.