Guest Review: Big (99 Daddies #2) by Casey Cox

Big: (adjective)
Large, as in size, height, width, or amount.
See also: Nick "Big Boy Energy" Macklin.

A Daddy who has everything money can buy...
Except the one boy he can’t have.

You’ve never met a boy like Nick Macklin. He’s an enigma, wrapped in warm cinnamon pastry, wearing a belly-exposing tank top. He’s two hundred and forty pounds of confident, cocky, curvy yumminess.

He’s proud of his body and proud to be a big boy. He’s also loud, unfiltered, loyal, and fiercely independent. In other words, everything smart, successful, sexy silver fox Daddy Steel Crawford has ever wanted in a boy.

There’s just one problem: Nick thinks Steel’s a jerk.

One of those guys that can get what he wants, simply because he’s a man with the means to afford it. Steel might be a self-made man, and able to catch Nick’s eye—but that doesn’t guarantee he’ll automatically be able to capture Nick’s heart.

Even if he is a super successful lawyer who runs his own law firm.
Even if he is as kind as he is rich, and a genuinely decent guy.
Even if his light blue eyes, silver mane, and sculpted body have earned him the title of one of Daylesford’s Most Eligible Daddies...three years running

Steel is a Daddy who can buy anything he wants, but will Nick be the one thing he can’t have?

 

Reviewer: Shee Reader

We met Nick and Steel in the first 99 Daddies book (First) where Nick’s best friend Mikey meets and falls in love with the daddy of this dreams. Will Nick and Steel ever find the happiness they are both looking for?

Nick is a gorgeous, sassy, big ball of fun! He is a force of nature scraping his way through life with a selection of jobs as he tries to help his grandparents (who raised him) keep their bakery afloat in the face of jerk-off developers trying to run them into the ground to buy their property, headed up by king of the jerks Steel Crawford.

Of course this is all set up nicely for a “lets just have sex to get this stupid attraction out of the way” type tryst with all the usual consequences you’d expect!

This is a joyous romp. Smartly written and so very camp - the amount of tongue-in-cheek action would be enough to give you a cramp, but this is funny and sexy and perfectly escapist in a way that recent times has been essential to my mental health!

Highly recommended for over-the-top rainbows and unicorn fans who are avoiding too much angst.

I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Cinderellis (Once Upon a Vegas Night #2) by Evie Drae

As the son of music industry royalty and a famous rock star in his own right, Henry “Cinder” Cinderford has spent his life on the road. Craving stability, he signs on to do a special limited engagement in Las Vegas and plans to spend the next six months discovering the meaning of home.

After losing his mom at a young age, Ellis Tremaine survived a childhood with an abusive stepfather who took out his anger on the son he never wanted. Nearly two decades later, Ellis continues to struggle against the emotional manipulations of his family, even in his career. But when he meets none other than the Prince of Pop himself, things start to change.

From attraction to friendship to something so much more, Ellis and Cinder become the celebrity ‘ship known as “Cinderellis.” But when reality threatens their storybook romance, all they can do is hope there really is a happily ever after for every once upon a time.

Fairy tale retellings?! I'm such a fan! I think it's fun to read authors put on their creative caps and try to rehash classic tales.

Evie Drae's Cinderellis (Once Upon a Vegas Night #2) is a standalone tale  of love between a pop star 'prince' Cinder (or Henry) and a jack of all trade, blue collar worker, sweet, gentle giant Ellis! The story is a pretty quick read with QUILTBAG friendly characters (well expect for the villain, of course). Ellis is socially awkward, shy and submissive who works so hard he isn't caught up to current social media trends,etc. Cinder, is a world weary son of musical legends who is looking to finally laying roots. They find each other one magical night in Las Vegas. And magic happens!

Our 'Cinderella' in Drae's retelling is Ellis, a late twenty-something who is stuck working under his abusive stepfather's thumb. (Let me add this: some might look down on older characters still being abused...it's a hard cycle to break for some. And I thought the author did a very good job explaining why Ellis, 6 foot plus giant of a man could still react the way he did to the evil stepdad.)

The story alternates POV's which helped understand both main characters. Cinder was pretty smooth and adaptable when it came to Ellis. Ellis definitely was inexperienced in just about all the ways when it came to the world, so I liked Cinder's handling of him. The pacing is pretty quick when we get to the romance. The pacing was mostly smooth with minor hiccups.

My biggest concern with this wonderful story is the try-hard-ness in the dialogue. In the beginning Ellis came off as shy and socially awkward, he had panic attacks for some social interactions, then it seems to disappear as we zipped through the romance. And his personality melded in Cinder's personality at times; meaning chatterbox Cinder and Ellis shared the same reactions and word vomit/cheesy one liners at time. I'm not the biggest fan of cheese, so to each their own.

I felt the romance, or the buildup to the romance was rushed at points to fit in more sex scenes. Ellis had a shitty past with his previous sexual experiences. He seemed to get over his hangups fairly quickly. Though I must say, sexually he read like a fairy tale prince: gentle giant and submissive. He and Cinder definitely had good chemistry in and out of the bedroom.

The conflict is the stepparent (no surprise, as this is a Cinderella retelling) but it felt a little anti-climatic toward the end as it read rushed and not as satisfying. And the step sister was under utilized. She could have easily been not added and more step dad scenes could have been used instead. Maybe I would've gotten more of an impact from him? *shrug*

Other than that, I thought the story was a cute story. I'm happy Ellis grew as a person. I'm a big fan of fairy tale retellings and I enjoyed the ideas the author came up with. I'd check out more from this series.

Recommended for readers who like easy reading, cute characters and fairy tales.

Review: Dine with Me by Layla Reyne

Life never tasted so good.

Miller Sykes’s meteoric rise to award-winning chef is the stuff of culinary dreams, but it’s all crashing down around him. He’s been given a diagnosis that could cost him something even more precious than his life: his sense of taste. Rather than risk the very thing that defines him, Miller embarks on a last tour of his favorite meals while he still can.

But there’s a catch: he needs a financial backer to make it happen, and he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s sick.

Dr. Clancy Rhodes has two weeks to come to terms with putting aside oncology to work at his father’s thriving plastic surgery practice. When the opportunity to travel with a Michelin-starred chef presents itself, the foodie in him can’t believe it. It doesn’t hurt that Miller’s rugged good looks are exactly Clancy’s cup of joe.

As Clancy and Miller travel from coast to coast and indulge in everything from dive bars to the most decadent of culinary experiences, they’re suddenly sharing a lot more than delicious meals. Sparks fly as they bond over their love of flavors and the pressures of great expectations. But when Miller’s health takes a turn for the worse, Clancy must convince him he’s more—so much more—than just his taste buds. And that together, they can win a battle that once seemed hopeless.

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise : all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! 

This book is approximately 69,000 words

This book made me wax nostalgic about the good ole days, and by 'good ole days' I mean pre-COVID. When we could all move about freely without fear of everyone that comes within 6' feet of us potentially being someone that could quite literally kill us and we were able to touch things freely without first ensuring we have hand sanitizer and/or gloves. Every time they talked of menus or the sommelier pouring their wine or even flying, I sighed. I remember those days fondly.

I digress.

The foodie stuff is on point. The chefery is on point too. Layla Reyne proves yet again that she believes in research but, unfortunately, that was the strongest point of the book for me.

The romance is lackluster. They have little chemistry excepting some periodic and apparently requisite cock hardness moments. I'm a fan of the sexy as much as the next person but cock hardness does not equate to soul matedness.

The specter of Miller's medical condition is the pink elephant in the room that detracted from their connection rather than enriched it. Is it that Clancy is actually falling for Miller or is it his doctor/caretaker mode conflating with Miller fitting Clancy's prototypical "type"?

Suffice to say, it all came together too quickly and too neatly for me. I like it when it's a bit messy and complicated. Though I'll give credit where credit is due, attempts were made to fit that criteria they just fell flat for me which is a shame since I liked much of the components of this story including the foodie/chef aspect to the age and size difference to the grumpy protagonist.

Not one I would recommend but my opinions are my own and YMMV.

A copy was provided for an honest review.

Blog Tour + Giveaway: To Target the Heart (Spellster #2) by Aldrea Alien

Author Aldrea Alien and Gay Book Promotions make the final blog tour stop for fantasy romance, To Target the Heart (Spellster #2)! Discover more and enter in the giveaway for your chance to win an ebook copy of In Pain and Blood or one of two ebook copies of An Unexpected Gift!

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: To Target the Heart (Spellster Series Book 2)

Author: Aldrea Alien

Cover Artist: Leonardo Borazio

Release Date: April 15, 2020

Genre/s: M/M Fantasy Romance

Trope/s: Hurt/Comfort, Man in Peril, Cultural Differences, 

Big Bottom/Little Top, Bear Bottom, Dysfunctional Family, Opposites Attract

Themes: Love, Attempted Suicide, Engagement Challenge

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 226 000 words

It is a standalone book.

Add on Goodreads

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

How can he win with the odds stacked against him?

Blurb

Prince Hamish has no interest in fulfilling his duty of marrying. Not to a woman, at least. That doesn’t stop his mother, Queen Fiona, from presenting him with every eligible noblewoman that enters their castle. He’s certain it’ll be no different with the representative of the Udynea Empire.

So when they do arrive, Hamish is relieved the imperial prince, Darshan, is not the woman everyone expected. Until the man kisses him and Hamish is confronted by the very emotions he has been forced to conceal or be punished for. Emotions he is eager to explore.

But the kiss proves to be a little too public and leads his mother to take drastic measures to ensure Hamish adheres to her family vision. The contest of arms will force Hamish to make a choice: give up his happiness for convention’s sake or send the kingdom spiralling into civil war for the right to love his own way.



Excerpt

The whole pub seemed to grow still the longer Darshan stared at the man, his expression blank.

“Bill,” Hamish hissed at the dockmaster. “That’s enough.” The man must have realised it would be the grandsire of all bad ideas to piss off someone capable of setting things on fire with a thought.

Ignoring Hamish, Billy continued to give the spellster a smarmy smile.

Darshan returned the grin, his tongue snaking out to run along the underside of his teeth. He calmly unhooked his glasses from behind his ears. “Hold these, will you?” he asked, waving the frames in Hamish’s general direction.

Hamish took a cautious step backwards. He couldn’t be certain if Darshan was merely posturing or actually planned to attack the man, but it would be better if he stayed out of it. After all, he couldn’t haul Darshan back to the castle if they were both unconscious.

He delicately reached for the glasses.

Darshan barely waited for Hamish to properly grasp them before he swung at Billy, clearly aiming for the man’s head.

Billy jerked back, too late in mounting a defence against the attack.

The spellster’s fist—heavily bedecked in jewelled rings—connected with Billy’s face like a hammer. The definite snap of breaking bone was almost an exhalation.

The dockmaster fell back, howling. Blood poured from beneath the man’s fingers, staining his blonde beard. At first, Hamish thought the ambassador had only broken Billy’s nose, until he caught sight of the dockmaster’s jaw. One side bulged alarmingly, whilst the right, the side Darshan had hit, was caved in.

The two men flanking Billy lunged at the spellster.

Sneering, Darshan flicked both his hands as if brushing the dust from his outfit. The men went flying, smashing into the walls. Neither one got up.

More men jumped up from their seats, agog. One ran out the door screaming. Not a one of them seemed to know what to do about the spellster who had made short work of three men; a foreigner who still stood over Billy without a care as to the bleeding state of his hand. Hamish wasn’t entirely certain it was even Darshan’s blood. Surely, with the force he’d hit the dockmaster, he must’ve broken something.

Darshan turned. He squinted at Hamish, then held out his bloodied hand. The fingers and knuckles seemed normal enough. No twists or swelling that suggested any harm had come to them. “My glasses, if you please?”

Hamish returned the item in question back to their owner. “I think this might be the best time to leave.” There’d be trouble once word of this got out—and a lot of questions Hamish wasn’t looking forward to answering. But if they returned to the castle now, then Gordon might be able to help him wrangle a more palatable version of events for his mother.

With the glasses once more firmly in place on his face, Darshan glared at Billy. “One moment.” He strode over to the howling man and grabbed his head. “Do not move or I will leave you injured. And I would advise against trying to talk.”

Billy stilled. Panic and fear flashed in his tear-redden eyes.

It had been some years since Hamish had last been in the presence of healing magic. But he’d been in no position to objectively watch either. Seeing the man’s face slowly reform to its previous state was something he’d never thought he would witness.

Billy’s cheeks shifted alarmingly, like a bubbling pot of porridge. The skin constantly changed colour, from the pinkish-red of freshly-struck to the bruised rainbow hues of blue, purple and green, then fading to trout-brown before regaining its natural wrinkled and heavily-tanned state.

Throughout it all, Billy’s eyes grew wider. He whimpered and fisted at his trousers. If Darshan hadn’t already stipulated stillness, he likely would’ve bolted from the spellster’s grip.

When Darshan was done, he released Billy’s head and let the man tumble onto the floor. “Call me that again and I shall do the same,” he snarled as he bent over the dockmaster. “Only next time, you can keep the broken jaw. Understood?”

Billy nodded. “Aye, your lordship.” He back-crawled across the flagstones, pausing only to rub his jaw and standing once Darshan was well beyond physical reach.

Dusting his hands, the ambassador returned to Hamish’s side. “As entertaining as that was, I think you are right, we should return to the castle.”

About the Author 

Aldrea Alien is an award-winning, bisexual author of fantasy romance with varying heat levels. Born and raised in New Zealand, she lives on a small farm with her family, including a menagerie of animals, who are all convinced they're just as human as the next person. Especially the cats. Since discovering a love of writing at the age of twelve, she hasn't found an ounce of peace from the characters plaguing her mind with all of them clamouring for her to tell their story first.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter

Newsletter Sign-Up | Instagram | BookBub

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win

an ebook copy of In Pain and Blood or

one of two ebook copies of An Unexpected Gift

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Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and reviews here

Review: How to Run with the Wolves (Howl at the Moon #5) by Eli Easton

Zeus loves his job on the new Mad Creek Search & Rescue team, and his inner Saint Bernard is finally being used to his full potential. When he sees a mysterious and wild-looking quickened—a dog shifter—at an earthquake site in Alaska, Zeus is compelled to investigate. Zeus falls hard for the primal beauty of Timo and of Alaska itself. Both call to his deep canine soul. But the Quimmiq pack’s laws are as harsh as the Alaskan winters, and Timo is out of his reach.

Timo’s pack of dog shifters left their Inuit village generations ago and have lived wild ever since. Not trusting the “one-skinned,” and with their numbers dwindling, the Quimmiq are on the verge of extinction. Timo is shocked to discover a whole group of “two-skinned” working as a rescue team, and he is particularly fascinated by Zeus, a gentle giant. He senses what Zeus feels for him… but it’s forbidden.

Can Mad Creek save this lost quickened clan? Perhaps—if they can learn how to run with the wolves.

PUPDORABLE!

I love this series so much but this one holds a special place in my heart.

Why, you ask?

Zeus!


Zeus is the classic gentle giant which appeals on multiple levels for me but what pulled on my heartstrings was how displaced he feels. He wants more than anything to be useful, but he oftentimes doesn't really get people and their vernacular which feeds into his feelings of being "different".

The underdogs always get to me and Zeus got to me.

But Timo is totes adorbz in his own rite. His mindset is VASTLY different from Zeus'. He's part of a pack that's been isolated in the wilds of Alaska for generations.

He's so mischievous and playful not just in his dog form either. His vivaciousness is infectious and he makes it difficult not to fall for him.

What I liked best about their relationship was how blind they both are to the way it's evolving. They're both independent and self-reliant so watching them slowly realize that they want to spend more time with each other warmed the cockles of my heart.

This is a prototypical slow burn romance with minimal sexy times which was fine by me! To have rushed would have rang of inauthenticity and I probably wouldn't have enjoyed watching them fall in love as much I did.

The voices of all the dogs/shifters in this series have been fantastic but the uniqueness of Zeus and Timo's voices was phenomenal. Never did I question whose head I was in and they both had me smiling throughout this read. Of course, I loved touching base with some of the previous Mad Creek couples. Milo is still sixteen different kinds of adorable.

Clearly, I loved this book to pieces and if you want a read that will make you want to hug it out with your kindle then you should give it a try. I hope we've not seen the last of Mad Creek but my heartfelt thanks to Ms. Easton for all the smiles these puppers have put on my face if it is. However, I'm excited as all get out about the spinoff series! Recommended!

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Aftermath (Ever After #3) by Tanya Chris

The Ever After series concludes in Aftermath. Tragedy, redemption, love… Ever After

Once upon a time, Casey flirted with a pretty boy at a bar, and that changed everything. Recently released from jail, he’s starting to rebuild without the family who raised him to hate himself. He’s got a new job, a room at his aunt’s, and community service hours at an LGBTQIA community center. But his biggest challenge is figuring out how to live as the one thing his father and brother drilled into him he could never be: a gay man.

Once upon a time, Brooks was a confident Dom with a particular taste for bigger men. But since his run-in with a dangerous homophobe, he’s lost his touch. Big, buff guys are hot but scary, and hurting people isn’t as much fun as it used to be.

Until he meets Casey, the big guy with the problematic past. Casey’s willing to do anything, but does his submission stem from healthy kink or from an unhealthy need to be punished? And is Brooks doling out release or revenge? Two people who share a past as violent as theirs could never fall in love. Unless, somewhere in the aftermath, there’s forgiveness.

Content warning: internalized homophobia, homophobic language, and references to homophobic hate crimes that have occurred in the past

Hard to rate.

LOVED LOVED LOVED Casey! He can get directly into my pocket without crossing "Go" or collecting $200. He's sweet, maybe a little naive but ultimately open to not only being open to criticism of his being complicit in his brother's crimes but applying that edification and paying it forward. *side mouths* He's also kind of a pain slut AND a big un AND submissive so...

It would probably go similarly for me as it did for Tormund but it wouldn't be for lack of trying!

To say the book started off great would be an understatement. Brooks was one of Casey's brother's victims who managed to fight him off and escape so Aftermath is at least adjacent to an enemies to lovers trope which happens to be a fave of mine so things were going swimmingly.

Brooks is alright. I understand where he's coming from but he can't see the forest for the trees and, quite frankly, he should've known better.

Finn is adorable. It breaks my heart that he got shorted in the parent department but he's making strides in creating his own family and I loved that as well as his spirit.

The story itself is classic Tanya Chris: unfussy with relatably imperfect characters and realistic dialogue.

Their chemistry is good. It's love at first sight for Casey and that made me...

Rightfully, it's a slower build for Brooks, one he tries to resist. Unsuccessfully.

The kink, however, is a shitshow.

That being said, Tanya Chris is my most successful 'working out mental health issues through kink' narrative to date. But still, something that gets on my last good nerve.

I'll give credit for delving into the psyche of both of these characters and really exploring the concept of redemption from multiple angles which, I think, had it only involved one of their perspectives wouldn't have been as successful nor would it have resonated as much.

I enjoyed the ending tying all the series characters together the way it did. Overall I would recommend the series and am sad that it ended on a mixed bag note. For me. YMMV.

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

Review: Clean Break (Farm College #2) by Erin McLellan

Connor’s To-Do List:

- Learn to accept my future on the family farm
- Be social, to a degree
- Make a secret bucket list
- Have a real conversation with Travis Bradford

Travis’s To-Do List:

- Get into my top law school
- Get the hell out of Elkville, Oklahoma
- Stay focused on my dreams and goals—no crushes, no distractions
- Get spanked by hot and perfectly fussy farm boy, Connor Blume

Travis and Connor do not like each other, but after being paired together in Entomology 101, their mutual hostility explodes into secret after-class hookups and unexpected feelings. With graduation looming near and their careers taking them in different directions, they’ll have to decide if a future together is worth adjusting their to-do lists and letting go of their carefully laid plans.

This gif literally sums up my experience with this book:

Super bummed this wasn't a hit out of the park for me since I've been wishing for it since Controlled Burn. I mean... kink, enemies to lovers, ginger MC, virgin, big guy bottoming, Erin McLellan... 

I might be defective. Any chance for a new model? I digress. Anyhoo, no use crying over spilled milk and all that.

In no way does my mediocre response to this book diminish my respect for this author nor will it prevent me from reading more from her in the future. Her writing is as solid as ever. Both characters are three-dimensional, well constructed and sympathetic, in their own ways.

They have chemistry and spine-tinglingly kinky sex with spanking, mild D/s and a teensy bit of breath play. 

My problem was Travis and this conflict. The basic formula is much the same as Controlled Burn which completely and utterly worked for me, but this, while plausible, didn't get under my skin the way Joel and Paulie's journey did. Mostly because the conflict is external rather than internal.

The central conflict is they have divergent paths after graduation which is looming thus they have an expiration date. Totally believable. Sort of. Until you listen to Connor for about 2.5 seconds. Which then dovetailed into Travis's perspective making me want to staple things to him. He's the one that devises this fuck buddy relationship yet he repeatedly initiates intimacy, asks Connor to be vulnerable which he does and lays himself bare for Travis whereas Travis gives virtually nothing of himself then repeatedly ices Connor out.

So the power differential was lopsided from early on which I didn't love and came with the added bonus of Travis getting Connor to disclose how all consuming his anxiety and OCD are; that they cause him to spin everything into being his fault somehow. Which made reading Connor's POV a special version of hell and Travis' increasingly distressing as it was akin to kicking a puppy. At one point I found myself talking aloud to my kindle asking Travis to please stop kicking the puppy.

He is aware that what he's doing to Connor is hurting him and in his defense he does berate himself for it but he continues to do it anyway! Ostensibly so he can protect himself from falling ass over teakettle for him. Lookit, I sympathize with safeguarding one's heart but at a certain point doesn't it become imperative to use words to explain this rather than... not? Especially when you care for the other person? Unfortunately, this went on and on sapping all my happy. They part ways for a time and ultimately (in the last chapter! 😩) they reunite. The epilogue, though glorious, just wasn't enough to make up for all that puppy kicking for me.

But I seem to be in the minority judging from other ratings on GR so I would encourage anyone interested to read those reviews too. As always, my opinions are my own so YMMV.

A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Omega Objection (San Andreas Shifters #2) by G.L. Carriger

Can a gentle giant with a trampled heart show a man who’s been running all his life that sometimes there are monsters worth running towards?

A werewolf walks into a bar.

Tank is working as a bouncer when he notices something odd about the new sexy-as-sin bartender. He’s odorless, he’s amazingly popular with shifters, and he’s terrified.

A man without a smell.

Isaac is trying to escape his past. He hides in San Francisco because everyone knows that there are no werewolves in the Bay Area.

Until one walks into his bar.

Can Tank figure out Isaac’s secrets in time to save him? And can Isaac forgive Tank for being a wolf in time to learn how to love?

New York Times best selling author Gail Carriger (writing as G.L. Carriger) brings you the next in her charming gay werewolves series.

The San Andreas Shifter books stand alone and do not have to be read in any particular order. But if you're a stickler this book is preceded by Bryan & Max's story, The Sumage Solution.

Delicate Sensibilities?

This book contains M/M sexy times, mild themes of dominance and submission, and horrible puns. If you get offended easily, then you probably will. San Andreas Shifter stories contain bad language, dirty deeds, and outright admiration for the San Francisco Bay Area. Not the faint of heart/mouth/tongue.

This pack's got charisma!

It took but a few short pages for me to become smitten all over again with the San Andreas pack. Carriger's way with dialogue makes these shifters unbearably charming; it's snappy, accessible and on the right side of slangy.

It's also funny.

This pack is, ostensibly, a pack full of misfits. Though I have to say, if this is what misfitdom looks like, SIGN ME UP! They all have distinct personalities that sometimes clash and they have banded together in an abandoned old mansion on the outskirts of San Francisco and are slowly expanding their family while strengthening their pack. What's more, they all seem to like each other and have fun together.

In this instance, (in case the title didn't give it away) they add an Omega: Isaac. Isaac has been on the run for a long time. His reasoning for doing so is understandable. He's taken to being a bit skittish when around wolves. Once he meets Tank everything in him tells him to skedattle but he's kind of dug in at his little bar with his friends and co-workers and Tank is such a yummy man mountain. When the baddies from his past start bearing down it's harder than ever to make himself hit the road.

I ❤️ me a size difference and I really like it when the big guy is a gentle giant and Tank is. Tank is very cognizant of his size and how intimidating it can be for others. There were so many endearing moments between he and Isaac; it's almost like they have a sixth sense about one another which worked towards convincing me their bond went beyond chemistry or kismet. Plus, Tank is adorable! When he started word vomitting about the barbecue... no way could anyone resist him.

Tank loves his pack. It's clear in his enthusiasm about them and his actions towards them. More than anything else he wants to be useful. He carries a significant amount of shame about this and persistently minimizes his worth which made me want to squeeze him even though I didn't really understand where it came from.

What I liked best about Isaac was his ability to read Tank and keeping up a fairly constant barrage of positive regard which went a long way towards showing Tank how essential he was not just to him but to his pack.

This installment ticked a lot of boxes for me: kinky, submissive big guy, big guy bottoming, possessiveness and mineing, smaller top, did I mention it was kinky? Not super #TeamPain kinky, just D/s and some orgasm denial with a smidge of begging. It'll do in a pinch.

They are into each other and quickly get on the same page. The catchphrase 'resistance is futile' ain't just for space aliens anymore, ya hear? I like a slow burn as much as the next but sometimes... why wait? They don't. And I dug it. Muchly.

The pack dynamics are hilarious with Marvin and his throw pillows, Max with his acerbic wit and Alec with his quiet strength and compassion. Isaac's friends from the bar add to the fun as well and some new and interesting shifters were introduced that I'm hoping will continue to make appearances as the series progresses.

The Omega Objection was a sweet, sexy, low angst read that's entertaining and balances the line between romance and action well about a man who finally finds his place among a bunch of so called misfits and another man who finally understands his worth among a bunch of misfits; it was exactly what the doctor ordered. Carriger has created a world that's uniquely her own in the shifter-verse that I thoroughly enjoy visiting and can't wait to see what comes next.

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

Review: Any Given Lifetime by Leta Blake

He'll love him in any lifetime.

Neil isn’t a ghost, but he feels like one. Reincarnated with all his memories from his prior life, he spent twenty years trapped in a child’s body, wanting nothing more than to grow up and reclaim the love of his life.

As an adult, Neil finds there's more than lost time separating them. Joshua has built a beautiful life since Neil’s death, and how exactly is Neil supposed to introduce himself? As Joshua's long-dead lover in a new body? Heartbroken and hopeless, Neil takes refuge in his work, developing microscopic robots called nanites that can produce medical miracles.

When Joshua meets a young scientist working on a medical project, his soul senses something his rational mind can't believe. Has Neil truly come back to him after twenty years? And if the impossible is real, can they be together at long last?

Any Given Lifetime is a gay romance by Leta Blake featuring reincarnation and true love. This story includes some angst, some steam, and, of course, a happy ending.

This book and I started off on shaky ground. I'll get to my quibble but I just want to say up front that if you're in the Squishy Marshmallow club, chances are you'll like Any Given Lifetime.

I recycle. I like antiques. I believe things can be restored and that other people's trash is another's treasure so it follows that I'd believe in reincarnation. I'm also a romantic and there's nothing, NOTHING more romantic than someone traversing time and space to return to their beloved.

When Neil and Joshua first met Joshua was deeply closeted and though he loved Neil completely, they never consummated their relationship. I liked the romanticism of their chasteness and I liked that it through the tragedy of Neil's death it was an awakening for Joshua. He realized that he had let happiness slip through his fingers because of fear and resolved to never again squander an opportunity to embrace life and love fully if it ever returned.

It does in the form of one of Neil's organ donor recipients, Lee. Lee is a remarkably generous person who makes room in the life he makes with Joshua for Neil. There were moments where I thought Lee was a mirage but his altruism is something everyone should aspire to.

The first part of Any Given Lifetime is non-linear and shifts between Neil growing up, flashbacks of Neil and Joshua's time together and Joshua building a new life with Lee. If books that time jump are problematic for you, exercise caution.

Neil is cantankerous, difficult, cerebral, arrogant and bristly. Outspoken and aggressively blunt; there is nothing easy about Neil. Admittedly, I struggled with the way he treated Joshua when they met for the second time but as the narrative unfolded he started to make more sense to me. He has a generous soul, but he is exceedingly bad at showing it, aside from his complete and utter devotion to his work extending and bettering the quality of human life through nanite technology.

The last part finds reincarnated Neil back in Joshua's life in the future. There is some angst but mostly it's scorching. I think I drooled a little on myself. There's something about the reverse age difference top/bottom thing that is grunt worthy to me. Even though technically it's not really a reverse age difference. I think I just confused myself.

What Any Given Lifetime did in spades was squeeze my squishy marshmallow heart because it's so unbelievably romantic that these two could find their way back to each other after twenty years. It's unbearably touching that they have their own precious secret, something remarkable, a miracle really, that only a handful of people know.

They're soulmates. Death, space, time, two lifetimes... nothing can keep them apart.

My quibble, when I really examined and distilled it down came to this: my conception of reincarnation doesn't align with this one. This version seems cruel to me but that's very subjective on my part.

Lastly, LOVED Neil's mother and his roommate Derek! I loved that they became so close and I would be most pleased were Derek to get his own book.

Recommend to timeless romance fans.

A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.