Showing posts with label Androgyny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Androgyny. Show all posts

Review: The Homecoming Prince (The Castaway Prince #3) by Isabelle Adler


Having returned to the continent following Warren’s illness, Stephan and Warren are certain they’ve escaped the notice of spies from Seveihar and are ready to build a new future for themselves. However, their quiet life is shaken once again when they receive a message from Stephan’s sister, Nessa. She begs him to return home and help her stand against their older brother, Robert, who is abusing his power by oppressing his subjects and starting an unnecessary war with the neighboring country of Esnia. 

With dark family secrets coming to light, Stephan is faced with a difficult choice between safety and happiness in exile with the man he loves, and his duty as a prince to protect his people from tyranny. And yet, amid all the dangers, the greatest risk he might face is a broken heart… 

The Homecoming Prince is the final book in The Castaway Prince series. For best enjoyment, please read the books in order.





I'm not so great with goodbyes so I'm going to keep this short for fear of face leakage. 

Obviously I joined this party for superficial reasons but along the way Adler developed two really strong characters in Stephan and Warren that I came to like and admire and now find myself a little bereft that I no longer have more adventures to look forward to from them.

However, the finale ended on a strong and satisfying note in part by seamlessly folding in a few relevant current topics to this fantasy world that surprised and delighted me. I wish I could go into a couple things in more detail but I don't want to spoil, so suffice to say I went on an emotional rollercoaster and wouldn't mind if Adler were to pivot and focus on a different character(s) in this world.

Which leads me to the world building which is as impeccable as always and almost on par with Adler's prose, which I continue to be enamored by even though there seemed to be more editing issues in this one than previous installments. Regardless, I enjoyed the finale and would recommend the whole series to fantasy adventure lovers.






A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.




Review: Angels Sing (Daddy Dearest #2) by Eli Easton

Jamie Bailey has not had such a wonderful life. He gave up his dreams of Harvard at 18 to raise his sister’s unwanted baby, and later a prized job to help a sick friend. Now the father of six-year-old Mia, and assistant manager at Raven Books, Jamie’s dreams are dashed once again when Uncle Billy admits what dire straights the bookshop is in.

Stanton Potter, son of the most notorious businesswoman in Bedford Falls, loves his job teaching at the local elementary school. But he’s less than thrilled when he is forced to put together a Christmas pageant with first-graders, including Mia Bailey. 

When Stanton meets Jamie, angels sing. Jamie’s gender-bending fashion sense, and sweet aura, have Stanton suffering through the worse crush he’s had since he was a teen. But can there be any hope for them when Jamie and Mia’s lives are about to be uprooted?

This Christmas, its Jamie’s turn to receive a little help from heaven.



I am crushing it with the femme reads all the sudden! Keep em comin', authors. I dig it. I dig it muchly.

So... spoiler alert, one of the characters in this sentimental holiday story is androgynous AND femme. Jaime is 100% sweetheart too. He's given up a lot of opportunities in his life to do the right thing and that's a rarity in the human race so I connected to him and his precocious and adorable daughter Mia pretty quickly.

Stanton is his love interest, a slightly older jock type and his physical opposite. This could've easily turned cliche but Easton made him the awkward and tongue tied one which completely worked for me. I half expected him to walk into a door because he was so distracted and besotted by Jaime. Jaime takes a bit longer to glom onto Stanton's interest but once he figures it out it was pretty entertaining to watch him turn Stanton inside out, both the PG-13 version and the adult version, though in different ways. Obviously.

I must confess I'm not a huge holiday story person. More of a cynical grinch type but Easton is hard to resist especially since Unwrapping Hank continues to carry the title of most beloved holiday story.

Was this as good as Hank?

No, but those are big shoes to fill. However, it sure was comforting to read which is something I've come to count on from this author and, for what it's worth, I devoured it.

Another thing it has going for it is it's not overly reliant on the miracle of the Christmas gambit. It's there but subtle and I appreciated that I didn't feel like I had glutted on peppermint sticks and eggnog after I finished it.

So if you're looking for a lighthearted and heartwarming holiday read Angels Sing is just what the doctor ordered.



An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.



Review: The Exile Prince (The Castaway Prince #2) by Isabelle Adler

Having chosen exile rather than face persecution at the hands of his family, Prince Stephan of Seveihar has finally found refuge in the south kingdom of Segor with his lover and former servant, Warren. For the first time in his life, Stephan is free to be who he really is, to explore his sexual identity and his fascination with all things feminine.

But it seems life has other plans, and the quiet happiness Stephan has run so far away to find is once again threatened by sinister forces from his past. Will Stephan and Warren’s newfound love be strong enough to weather the danger that could rip them apart forever?



I feel like a bit of a broken record when it comes to this series but... I wish this one were longer too. I think the only practical solution to this dilemma is to reread the entire trilogy once it's completed. #FirstWorldProblems

The Exile Prince picks up shortly after the first installment with Stephan and Warren having settled in Varta under assumed names. Varta suits them simply because they can be themselves. Stephan's no longer beholden to conform to his royal status and since no one knows who he or Warren are there is no censure regarding their differing social standing and, best of all, they can engage in PDAs without reproach.

Stephan has made a friend in Mala, a neighbor, and I hope we've not seen the last of her. She's fierce, loyal and proves herself to be an invaluable resource when they needed help.

However, the heart of this installment is strengthening the bond between Stephan and Warren, something Adler showed through their having to rely on each other to survive when the bad guys make their appearance.

It goes without saying that I'm invested in Stephan and Warren's journey and am anxiously awaiting the conclusion. The world building is strong but what I'm enjoying most about this series is how Stephan's gender is being explored and, obviously, the crossdressing/androgyny.

Recommended to fantasy enthusiasts.




An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.




Audiobook Review: Taylor Maid by Tara Lain

He'll marry the maid to get $50 million but a secret could queer the deal.

Taylor Fitzgerald needs a last-minute bride.

On the eve of his twenty-fifth birthday, the billionaire’s son discovers that despite being gay, he must marry a woman before midnight or lose a fifty-million-dollar inheritance. So he hightails it to Las Vegas… where he meets the beautiful maid Ally May.

There’s just one rather significant problem: Ally is actually Alessandro Macias, son of a tough Brazilian hotel magnate. But if Ally keeps pretending to be a girl for a little while longer, is there a chance they might discover this marriage is tailor-made?

Narrated by: John Solo 
Listening Length: 5 hours and 18 minutes


I never thought I'd see the day that I would 1 heart some cracky fluff. Cracky fluff with an androgynous and crossdressing character no less!

This is a sad sad day indeed, so let's make this short.

I've never read anything by Tara Lain before and I find her writing style almost cacophonous. It's choppy with odd little asides randomly thrown in that are usually hokey and sometimes borderline offensive. Bottom line: we didn't suit.

The plot didn't make a whole lot of sense and what did was cheesy and OTT. I didn't understand why Ally was on the run from his father nor did I think his henchmen would have a difficult time locating him after he "escaped" on a private plane bound for San Francisco. Bottom line: everything was resolved quickly, easily and unrealistically which, honestly, is kind of par for the course with this series. Had I connected to it or the characters this level of reality suspension would likely have been a non-issue. But.

It's not that I expect depth in my cracky fluff, I don't. But I do want at least a bit of something substantiative about the characters. Both Ally and Taylor's characterizations felt flimsy and one-dimensional.

The dialogue is stilted to begin with, so I hate to blame Solo, but by the same token, I don't think his narration helped with regard to my enjoyment. His delivery is perky, punchy and peppy which, granted, is fitting for this prose but it somehow made the whole thing worse.

I never connected to this story and found myself listening halfheartedly rather than engagingly, but we all have authors and styles that resonate with us. This didn't suit me but Lain has a unique style all her own and there is an audience for it. I would encourage anyone even remotely interested to look at other reviews before deciding.


A review copy was provided.


Tag Team Review: Enemies like You (Enemies with Benefits, #1) by Annika Martin & Joanna Chambers

They're dangerous men. Absolute enemies. And totally hot for each other.

Will has never met anyone like Kit. He’s arrogant. Gorgeous. Lethal. The most expensive bodyguard money can buy.

And Will can’t seem to resist him.

A simple command in Kit's cut-glass accent makes Will want things he’s never wanted, do things he’s never done. Their red-hot chemistry is off the charts.

Just one problem: Will has vowed to kill the billionaire that Kit is hell-bent on protecting.

And Kit has secrets, too—his own reasons for sacrificing his soul, piece by painful piece, to keep one of the worst men on earth alive.

This is a stand-alone hot contemporary M/M bodyguard/spy romance.

Close enough to average


Cupcake - 4 Hearts

First things first, the prologue (Enemies With Benefits) is the first 8 chapters which inspired some disappointment. I was left wanting at the end and feeling a little sick that it was over. Those 8 chapters would’ve gone a long way in easing my separation anxiety. IDK if the Kit and Will saga will continue but I sure hope so!

Is this book perfect? Nope. There were several spy game things that had me side-eyeing. Don’t EVEN get me started on that whole club scene with Master Tom and Will. IDK what that was. I’m just going to pretend like it didn’t happen.


Taken as a whole though, I had some pathetic moony eyes happening. Will and Kit have an instant connection. Did I find the automatic D/s dynamic between them weird and heavy-handed at times? Yep. But the pragmatist in me says no one ever really knows what’s going to turn their crank until it happens. Kit turns Will’s crank in ways he’s unfamiliar and moderately uncomfortable with, but I loved that he didn’t fight it. He doesn’t understand it, it just is what it is and I did think the weirdness lessened as their connection grew and as the narrative evolved.

Kit’s androgynous and posing as Polzin’s (all around monster and narcissist) bodyguard and girlfriend. You gotta know happy Cupcake was happy with this WHOLE kit and caboodle! Will’s bisexual and happy with however Kit wants to dress. Even better! Not a lot of angst was spent on Kit’s androgyny which was a hit at Casa de Cupcake.


Will is ex-military, American and brute force to Kit’s cunning, British spook and that interplay amused me as did their cat and mouse game. Will keeps trying to outmaneuver Kit and Kit always senses when something’s amiss. It was entertaining and usually led to sex. I see nothing wrong with this. *shifty eyes* Once they join forces, though, is when things started to click for me. Their mission held my attention and even a surprise or two. Chambers and Martin struck a good balance between the espionage and romance plotlines. Naturally, their joining forces a modicum of trust that grows as they reveal more of themselves.

Having both of their perspectives I watched the walls between them start to come down and how each of them has unintentionally fallen for their “enemy”. I love a good enemies to lovers, but I can’t for the life of me fathom how these two couldn’t manage some hate sex. Truly baffling, this is.


Their first time together with Kit’s unveiling ranks at the top of my list on the sexmagickhotness scale,-SHOCKER-but none of it was shabby by any stretch. *side mouths* There could’ve been more MANTIES. Just sayin’. *end side mouth* But at least the big guy bottomed! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! #winning

It wasn’t perfect but I hearted the fuck out of it anyway and I’ll pounce on a book 2 should it be in the cards.

Recommend to enemies to lovers fans.


Adam - 2.75 Hearts

I’ve got mixed thoughts on ‘Enemies Like You.’

The two MCs are pitted against each other from the start. Will is gunning after a Russian oligarch, while Kit is determined to protect the villain.

Will is the selfless avenger. His only goal is to get justice for his betrayed friends, with no thought for his own life. He’s reckless, but it was easy to understand where he was coming from.

Kit’s motivations are less selfless, and it takes a while to figure out what he’s after. He may not be a knight in shining armour, but I liked him right off the bat. The tortured bad boy vibe was just too hard to resist.

From the beginning, these two have a complicated and slightly unhealthy relationship. In fact, their “relationship” for much of the book is an alternating mix of aversion, obsessive fascination, and kinky sex.

It wasn’t realistic - two enemies falling straight into sex - but it was definitely hot. If you’ve got a thing for the bigger guy being the submissive bottom, you’ll be pleased.


The emotional aspect of Kit and Will’s relationship is just as complicated, and takes a lot longer to settle. The two are lonely men, and while they slowly fall for each other, neither is willing to put their trust in someone else.

But once Will and Kit start letting their guards down, they quickly realise that they can’t imagine life without one another.

I liked the relationship/romance aspect enough to enjoy the book.

What I wasn’t a fan of was the mystery/action plot. Neither Kit or Will are particularly savvy spies, so it felt like amateur hour at times. The mystery itself isn’t exactly original, so it just didn’t capture my attention.


Overall, this was a mixed bag for me. I liked Kit and Will’s enemies-to-lovers romance well enough, but I wasn’t blown away by the plot.


Review copies were provided

Review: The Castaway Prince by Isabelle Adler

Ostracized by his family for his sexual identity, Prince Stephan is forced to flee his homeland before his older brother ascends the throne.

Stephan has been drawn to feminine things for as long as he can remember, so when the dire need for secrecy arises, he seizes the chance to don the perfect disguise. With the help of his loyal servant, Stephan picks his way through hostile territory, hiding his identity by posing as a woman. His only hope for asylum lies with the man who had been his friend and lover three years ago. But when that man also happens to be the crown prince of a rival country, things are a bit more complicated.

With war looming on the horizon, the danger of discovery grows by the moment. With all odds stacked against him, will Stephan find a safe place where he can be his true self, or is he doomed to remain a castaway?

I can't even believe I'm about to say this with the current state of my TBR but I wish this were longer. This was a little amuse-bouche that left me wanting more.

"The Castaway Prince" is a fantasy story involving Stephan, prince of Seveihar and his manservant, Warren. Stephan has fled his homeland with Warren and they are seeking asylum in Esnia. He had a brief affair with Prince Arlen of Esnia a few years ago and is hoping that will work to his advantage and curry favor with him. However their tryst precipitated a rift between the kingdoms that is reaching a boiling point and Stephan's brother is a bit of a warmonger.

For such a short story there's a decent amount of worldbuilding and I thoroughly enjoyed Adler's writing style. Very quickly she established a very distinct atmosphere with her language usage that left me wanting more. Stephan's character was also relatively well developed with a smattering of backstory.

Stephan is androgynous, likes to dress as a female and can easily pass as such. 





It doesn't seem like his family abused him but rather ignored him which is a hell all its own. He does at one point contemplate suicide so if you're easily triggered, you may want to exercise caution when reading this.

My affinity for androgyny and crossdressing is what drew me to this story in the first place and I really liked Warren's acceptance of Stephan without censure. They have good banter even with the class difference, but I wish their camaraderie had more time to grow and stretch its wings, more together on page time would've gone a long way in convincing me of their HEA. As it stands, the ending felt rushed and unnatural, but it was sweet and I liked that quite a lot.

It goes without saying that I'd read a follow up to this story but I'd also read something else by this author, though I'd probably aim for something longer.

Recommend to fantasy fans who are looking for a quick and sweet diversion.





A review copy was provided.