Tag-Team Review: Optical Illusion (Paint #1) by Emma Jaye

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Review: Tied Up In Knots (Marshals #3) by Mary Calmes

Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.

Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.

Reading a book by Mary Calmes is like being the passenger in a car being driven by Mario Andretti.  The only thing you can do is hold on, enjoy the ride and hope you don’t end up in traction by the end.

But, man!  What a ride it is!

It’s been a year since all the shit in book two went down and Miro is on loan to the DEA in San Francisco while Ian is on deployment.  So, of course Miro is up to his eyeballs in the shit again.  The man just can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble.  I’m going to pause here for a minute because that beginning… whoa!  At 1% I knew this was going to be a five star read.  Just 1%!  That was the beginning to end all beginnings.  It was so unexpected and just fabulous.  I may or may not have done a little happy dance.  There’s a reason why Mary Calmes is one of my most favorite authors and beginnings like that just reinforce that reason.

We get into the heart of the story once Miro arrives back home in, you guessed it, Chicago.  Ian’s on his way home from his mission and Miro’s about to pee himself from excitement.

And so begin the shenanigans.

Can I just say how much I loved reading this book?  It was nonstop action the whole way through; jumping from one crisis to the next.  My ADD brain ate it all up like it was a steak and lobster dinner.  And, to make it even more exciting, mixed in amongst all the action was quite a bit of feels.  It seems that the honeymoon phase is officially over with Ian and Miro so now they have to learn how to actually be together without killing one another.  Now, that’s not to say there was no passion because the passion was there in spades.  Just about burned up my screen with all the heat.  The Fuck Truck was officially driven to Pound Town, my friends.  Repeatedly.  But a rough and tumble fuck session does not a relationship make.  There was quite a bit of relationship development in this installment too and I loved that we got to go through it with them.  

And Mary (who I not-so-secretly call my crack dealer) couldn’t write a book without the cray-cray.  And let me tell you, there’s some seriously fucked up craziness in this book.  Creeped me right the fuck out!  You thought Landry was nuts in Mine?  He ain’t got nothin’ on the psychopath in this book.  I was scared that Miro wasn’t going to get out of the shitstorm this time.  Mary’s been known to go dark so I read a lot of this with my heart in my throat and at one point I had to put my phone down and take a few breaths before I could screw up enough courage to read on.

I was thinking about going more in depth with a few of my favorite moments from this book but I don’t think I could say anything without spoiling the book.  I will say, though, that the cameos were flippin’ fantastic.  Every time there was a cameo I squeaked a bit and drummed my feet on the floor in excitement.  

Honestly, if Mary Calmes stopped writing I think I would die.  Or at least cry bucketfuls of tears.  There would be some serious sobbing and most likely snot would be involved too.  This author is my crack and I need my fix, dammit!  I don’t know what I would do without her addicting words.  To paraphrase my first love, the magnificent uber-alpha Logan Church, I can’t live without her.  

She’s like cheese.

Find it at Dreamspinner Press and on Goodreads!

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

Audiobook Review: A Shot at Forgiveness by Cardeno C.

Sometimes to find love, you must first learn forgiveness.

A dozen years, 2,000 miles, and a law degree after high school, Rafi Steiner continues to harbor resentment toward Isaac Jones, his childhood bully turned NBA star. When Isaac appears at Rafi's favorite restaurant acting like a long-lost friend, Rafi bluntly dismisses him.

But Isaac is tenacious and he has his heart set on the grown-up version of the boy he always wanted and never forgot. The way Isaac sees it, he and Rafi are perfect for each other, if only he could sink the most important shot of his life: his one shot at forgiveness.


Length: 1 hr and 38 mins
Narrator: Robert M. Clark

Okay, now I can see the appeal of this author.

As my second Cardeno C, it went a lot better than expected.

Maybe I needed to listen rather than read? This narrator Robert M. Clark did a really great job.

Or maybe it was the stalking and possessiveness a la crazytrain territory?

Don't judge. ;P

I have a weakness for those types in romance. (Do not condone it in real life)

And this was all subtle crazytrain: Level 4 or 5 from a certain basketball player hero. Nothing outrageous compared to threatening to kill their beloved if they ever left them. Just stalking and a little B & E (breaking and entering).

Present day Rafi is a real estate lawyer, with great friends and a good life. It was better than twelve years ago in high school, where he was bullied by basketball player Isaac Jones. He's over that...until he gets a blast from the past on an outing with friends from his childhood tormentor. Isaac is still as good looking as in high school, currently a NBA player, rich and shouldn't even be in Rafi's town, since Isaac plays 2000 miles away.

Isaac acts as if he and Rafi are friends and slowly yet firmly inserts himself into Rafi's life.

The tall, dark and handsome NBA player is straight to public. But his pursuit of Rafi says otherwise. Be damned of Rafi's feelings since he was bullied for years due to the other man.

Highly improbable. Isaac just shows up after 12 years and stalks Rafi for months and just assumes they'll be forever together?

Definitely illogical. Rafi was hurt. He is still hurt. Those feelings are deeply etched into his psyche. His bully breaks into his house, woos him into submission and doesn't fully explain himself...but he trusts him?

This is madness.

It's crazy.

And yet...it worked.

Rafi is the narrator of the story. Robert M. Clark did justice to his snark and the overall tone. The story doesn't make excuses for his feelings. Isaac is just crazy in love. It takes a while (we're talking days) but Rafi sees the Isaac Jones crazy light and loves being 'dominated' by the man.

Thank goodness this was short, I'm unsure how I'd feel with a novel of this. Normally, this kind of stuff in paranormal works for me. But I've read this author's paranormal and it didn't click.

A Shot of Forgiveness? I ate it up. Or I should say I was captivated enough to finish this audiobook in one sitting.

The sex was hot - these two couldn't get enough of each other once the boxers were pulled down. I guess that touch of cray did wonders for the libido. I guess B & E works like a box chocolates in Cardeno C's romancelandia. Whatever...it worked for these two.

Would read this and listen to this again.

I kind of wish Isaac was a little more accountable with his B & E, and stalking. His motivation doesn't justify his actions. No hint of remorse, it was just supposed to be accepted. Rafi protested a little but once the D entered the picture...so did the protests.

Other than that, I was entertained.

Check out on Goodreads!

Review: Forbidden by Scarlet Blackwell

When things are forbidden, you merely want them more…

Vice-president David should have had it all–nice cars, the most expensive restaurants and the finest clothes. But he hides a secret from all his colleagues–he’s gay. He’s too scared to come out at work so he spends his evenings cruising for company and frequenting strip clubs. In one such place, he meets pole dancer Jeremy, a young man with problems of his own. Jeremy’s controlled by his boss Donny and soon David’s interest starts to spell danger for them both…

So my first Scarlet Blackwell. I was warned she writes very crazy, over the top characters and stories, this book was definitely that! I don’t know if it was the forewarning, but I really enjoyed this story.

David is the vice-president of a big corporate company and deep in the closet. He decides to check out a seedy gay strip club and falls in insta-lust with one of the dancers, Jeremy. Jeremy works for Donny, and here enters our caricature bad guy. Donny is a seedy club owner/pimp/rapist and has a special obsession for Jeremy.

I actually really liked David and Jeremy’s relationship, yes it's insta-lust/love, but if you know that going in, I think it works. They're both hesitant to start something serious, but can't deny the attraction and ‘connection’ they share. David still has to work through coming to terms with leaving the closet and Jeremy needs to escape the clutches of Donny. Their ‘connection’ was definitely more based on the physical than emotional, but they had enough deeper thoughts for it not to feel like pwp (porn without plot).

The stripping was really really good! I could have definitely used more dancing scenes.

Goodness this book was FULL of sex and it was HOT! It was rough and dirty and all round yummy! if this is normal of Blackwell books, I’m officially a fan.

The story lost a couple of points for me with the end scene, where David goes and ‘takes care’ of Donny. It was all a little too much to be good fun and when it was all over, Jeremy was sad because he didn’t have a job anymore… because that makes sense when your boss rapes you regularly.

This was such good crazy fun! if you know not to take this seriously and you enjoy crazy characters, over the top storylines and super hot sex, I’d say give this a go.

Check out on Goodreads!

Purchase Links:
NineStar Press: http://ninestarpress.com/product/forbidden-scarlet-blackwell/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Scarlet-Blackwell-ebook/dp/B018Q8E5SU

Interested in learning about the author & read an excerpt? Check out the info below!

Author Bio

Scarlet likes cats and hats and firmly believes that the only thing better than one attractive man is two attractive men.

Email: scarlet.blackwell@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.scarletblackwell.com/Pages/default.aspx
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScarletBlckwl?lang=en-gb
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scarlet.blackwell
Blog: http://scarletblackwell.blogspot.co.uk/

Excerpt

©Copyright Scarlet Blackwell 2015
All rights reserved.

Coxx was new to him. A last stop at the end of a night of solitary drinking. Somewhere he’d always wanted to go but had been afraid to. Not that night. That night alcohol gave him courage beyond his wildest dreams. After his tough day at work, he didn’t care about denying himself anymore.

The seedy male strip club was nestled at the ass end of West Hollywood, tucked away almost apologetically among the back streets. Its windows promised hot male dancers to cater to every whim. The carpet was sticky, but the beer was cold. A long runway featured shiny brass poles currently occupied by two dancers. The place was half-full, a slow night.

David Ackroyd sat on a stool at the edge of the stage, his gaze on the lithe blond at the end of the runway. He hadn’t expected to find any of the dancers worth more than titillation, but since the young man first slunk from behind the velvet curtains, he’d had David’s rapt attention.

He was average height with a lean, tanned body. All strong limbs and toned muscle, he wore nothing more than a sparkly silver thong and silly matching boots. The dancer’s plump, pert ass mesmerised David as he shook it in time to an old Mötley Crüe song and gyrated in front of a group of four giggling women.

Perhaps David hadn’t expected to see women in a place like Coxx, but why not? Ogling nearly naked men wasn’t the province of gay men alone; women had as much right to get their kicks as he did. The blond dancer played up to his audience by sliding to his knees and letting the women stroke his thighs and press bills into his thong. David doubted he would let his male admirers get quite so fresh with him. Having a man grope you was different. More intimidating, fraught with risk.

David took a swallow of Jack Daniel’s and Coke, wishing for a better look at the blond dancer. He glanced at the other man on the runway, a brunet. He was ripped and hard but nothing special to look at. He seemed tired, jaded and only spared each person at the edge of the stage fleeting attention. That was fine by David. He only had eyes for the blond.

Fluidly, the dancer stood up, moved a few steps back to the pole in the middle of the stage, and swung himself around it, wrapping his long limbs gracefully about the steel. David stared. The man hung upside down, ankles clinging, six-packed abdomen rippling. Then, he dismounted, stalked across the runway and stood with legs spread and hands on his hips, facing David. He seemed to wait as though for approval. David gulped as he lifted his gaze up the dancer’s magnificent body, lingering on the enticing bulge in his underwear. The blond was nearly too pretty to be called handsome.

Maybe late twenties with perfect skin and large, almond-shaped eyes of piercing blue. A smile curled around the edges of his plump, sensual mouth as if he knew every one of David’s thoughts. Like he had watched him out of the corner of his eye and known David was salivating for a bit of the dancer’s attention.

David’s cock stirred. It filled with blood, pressing against his underwear with a sweet ache. He forgot where he was and drowned in the thrill of an attractive man seeking him out. David imagined they were in a nightclub, and he could take this beautiful stranger home if he wanted to and make love to him all night without money changing hands. He took another swallow of his drink as the man spun around, bent at the waist, and shook his ripe buttocks. Reaching back, the dancer stroked his own backside with lingering, sensual touches and pulled his cheeks just far enough apart that the string on the ridiculous thong shifted, barely covering a hint of pink pucker.

David clutched his knees and ground his teeth. His rampant cock raged against his pants. The dancer turned around. One hand on his thigh, fingers perilously close to his package, he swivelled his hips, thrusting his groin in David’s direction.

David watched raptly as the blond inched his fingers closer to the sparkling material covering his assets. His fingertips traced the bulge between his legs before he cupped himself and rubbed overtly. David licked his lips. The flimsy thong seemed to expand. Was the dancer getting hard? It was difficult to see in the darkness and playing shadows, but the underwear seemed strained to bursting, and the blond stroked his cock and balls as if he was very excited.

David placed his hands on the edge of the runway. He ached to touch, but he wouldn’t be that guy, grabbing disrespectfully and forgetting his boundaries. Now if the blond wanted to invite him to delve into that sparkly bill-stuffed pouch right here in front of all these people, that would be a different matter. David would give him the handjob of his life, no worries. Hell, he would open his mouth and let the dancer fuck it to his heart’s content right then if he wanted to.

The blond moved closer. He slid to his knees with thighs wide apart. David stared up at the sweat glistening on the dancer’s face and torso. He smelled the guy’s cologne, heady and spicy, and it made his cock jolt and throb. His fingers twitched. The dancer smiled. He gripped David’s right hand at the wrist and brought it to him, deliberately placing it on his own upper thigh.

His flesh was like damp silk. David stifled a groan. The blond guided David’s fingers to his inner thigh, electric-blue eyes never leaving his. When his touch grazed heavy balls, David thought he would whimper with desire. The blond’s hard-on was evident from this angle; his cockhead almost reared over the top of the overstuffed pouch. He ran his tongue slowly over his lips and then pressed David’s hand right into his groin, over a rigid pole, generous in every way.

David caught his breath. He closed his fingers around the dancer’s turgid shaft, squeezing gently but with greed, aware of overstepping the mark and ready to be apologetic.

A moment later, the blond jerked away. He skipped back to the pole and wound himself around it a couple of times before blowing kisses in the general direction of all those watching. Then, he disappeared behind the curtain.

David sat in crushing disappointment. His heart raced, and his cock threatened to explode. His desire dampened his underwear. He tried to rationalise to himself what had just happened. A scorching encounter with a man paid to interact with his audience. A bonus in every way at the end of a draining day. He smiled ruefully and finished his drink, adjusting himself discreetly before sliding from the stool. Drink and lust made him unsteady when he stood. He weaved his way to the exit and vowed he’d never come here again.

Review: Imperfect by A.E. Ryecart

From the moment City corporate lawyer Josh Cooper saw Alex Fulbright in the crowded café, he knew his life would never be the same again.

With looks, money and success, Josh has everything, but his life isn’t as perfect as it seems. Alex, too, has his issues, craving a quiet life as he recovers from a trauma that has left him scarred and broken.

From hesitant beginnings, Josh and Alex finally find the love with one another that neither thought they would ever have. But is Alex hiding something? Josh is forced to question how much he really knows Alex and, after a chance encounter where Alex’s past is dragged into the present, Josh is faced with a stark choice: can he accept the whole of who Alex is, or must he walk away from the only man he has ever truly loved?

First off, let's get comfy before I start the review, huh? You get the snacks, I'll get the booze. Trust me, we'll need it.

I don't know where to begin. I have a barrel full of quotes and a shelf worth of alcohol. This is a book that if someone rated it a 1, I totally would get it. And if they rated it a 5, I'd understand. Because while this wasn't the best story written, I was entertained. I think I hated just about all the characters. Wait. I liked Liam, the best friend of Alex. And I pitied the hell out of Alex, the naive twink and star of the book. *pours* But the other main players aren't fit to lick the bottom of my shoe.

So...let me top off my glass while I start off with there is cheating. The author kind of tries to be slick with technicalities but Josh seeks out a relationship with Alex while still in a relationship with Dan. Josh could deny it all he wants from now until the second coming but he had a boyfriend, even if it was one sided. And it was emotional cheating. *sips*

And I think I'll just blurt out my feels because I thought this book was going to be seedy hook ups and alley way sex when the boyfriend wasn't home. Dirty call me when you get home so I jerk off when he's not looking. And it wasn't. It really wasn't. It was tamer in some aspects, like instead of cry-fests and slap-fests, it was kind of orderly. Not overly drama llama. Well except for that boyfriend. He brought the histrionics. *points* That is what I came for. Messy, bitching out. Worth the price of admission. Yeah!!!!!!

Josh is an older lawyer type who is in a relationship, cheats on his boyfriend and is a jerk. He hates commitment and yet finds himself saddled down with a boyfriend because it's convenient. He has a pre-midlife crisis of sorts when he sees a young blonde twink (Alex) working in the cafe. He saves him from being bullied and bullies his way into Alex's life. Now Alex has a past and it's very apparent what happened to him with his past boyfriend and yet he goes directly to Josh, a controlling, manipulative type who goes away without telling him where and when for days on end. He hides his phone, etc. Obvious things that are warning signs for most single people but not gullible Alex. *chugs* Thankfully, there's a Liam in Alex's life.
 
Liam: He was blunt and I can respect that. He was rough at first. But you know what? Head-in-the-damn-clouds Alex needed a friend like him because he kept getting hurt over and over again. And if Alex had no self-preservation, at least Liam had his best interests. Liam's way might be with his fists but sometimes there are people you just can't use words with. Pounding it out just is easier. *shrugs and gulps*

Josh is an asshole. It's not even about the cheating for me. He's a loathsome character and I really wished Liam was able to unleash the beast on him at least once. I would have 5 Hearted this book in a heartbeat if Josh got his asshole handed to him in a brown paper bag. *deep sigh* Josh was manipulative and an emotional abuser. And he knew what Alex went through and he still treated him like that? Alex could do better. Josh knew which buttons to push and how make Alex come to heel in a few amount of words. It was pathetic and yet fascinating. Like watching a train wreck.

The book runs high on emotions and reads like a soap opera and yet I devoured this 300 pg book in less than 24 hours. It was a case of  "I can't believe he's going to fall for this, let me see what he'll do next". The book was slightly drawn out. It could have been shaved 20-25%, but the major plot points made sense. And for a messy, tawdry plot, it didn't end up as messy or tawdry as I thought. And there were unexpected twists, some that went deeper than I expected. Trigger warnings: Off page rape/physical abuse.

Do I think Alex and Josh actually have a shot? Hell no. This is a case where the age difference and life experiences will come to bite them in the ass in the future. Thank goodness, this is fiction.

Alex needs to be taken into a witness protection program and Josh needs to have a double date with Liam's fists and boots. Alex has no voice in his relationship and the fact that he thinks he has a say is sad. Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun Alex! Come over here, it's a Josh free zone! Boo Josh!

On the SRAL scale of cray cray, this couple rates a 2 out of 7: We get it you're in each others pocket 24/7. Good for you. Low factor crazy.

*looks into empty glass* But I was entertained as hell. Wouldn't read it again, but I enjoyed the ride!

For more information on Goodreads or Booklikes!

Review: Mine by Mary Calmes

Trevan Bean has a job that’s going from illegal to frightening, a boyfriend who may not be in his right mind, and a guardian angel who might actually be evil incarnate. Add to that the reappearance of his boyfriend’s estranged family, death threats, kidnapping, and the struggle of saving money to realize a dream, and Trevan has a lot on his plate. But Trevan is up to the challenge: he promised Landry a happily ever after, and Landry’s going to have it if it kills him!

It just might.

Landry Carter was a broken doll when they met two years ago but has grown into a partner who can stand at Trevan’s side… most of the time. Now that Trevan’s life just got scary—and Landry just got himself kidnapped—Trevan has to hope Landry’s love stays strong through this newest challenge, because the happily ever after won’t happen if Trevan has to go it alone.


Author of the Month and… official MC cherry popping.

How do I rate this thing? Is there like a Calmesian scale? 

If I were to rate this on the level of cray cray, there aren't enough hearts. Valentine's Day is mere child's play comparatively. 

If I were to rate the soap operaesqueness, it would be somewhere in the 4 heart range. Days of Our Lives didn't have this level of batshityness and that show was chock-a-block with nutjobs. Every one of these characters ain't right. Every one! If I were to rate my enjoyment… uh, I'm kind of scared of Calmes Nation coming after me with pitchforks and maces, but, yeah, I enjoyed it. For a soap opera. So, actual rating… uh, what is ∞ x 4 x 2? Meh, math was never my strong suit, so I'll go with 3 hearts and call it a day.

"You will never get away from me, you should resign yourself to that now."

"Lan-"

"I'll kill you and then myself, that's a promise."

Mine is like that highway accident that everyone slows down to look at while you're cursing them for holding you up but when you get to it you look too. I looked. I knew the MCs were whackadoodles going in but I had NO idea the level of whackadoodledome. I'm not saying they should be committed but it wouldn't be the worst call anyone ever made. Landry holds a switchblade while jacking off over his sleeping lover in a fugue state about to carve his initials on him so everyone would "know" that he's his? Uh… Because he was dancing with a girl at a party earlier. Did he think that dance was going to un-gay him? And his nutjob boyfriend was all, 'hey, babe. You awake?' 

RUN FORREST RUN!!!!!!!

Nope. They bang and all is well. Then again, Trev's bestie is a contract killer who randomly breaks into his apartment to watch him sleep because it "soothes" him, so I'm guessing he's desensitized to the cuckoo. I actually began to wonder if this was some elaborate AU somewhere in the middle because Trev seems to have some sort of spellbinding power over all the people. All the people of zooville, but still he's their golden child. How does he always know what to say to everyone that either engenders everlasting devotion, inexplicable trust, life altering insightfulness or fuck me eyes. I secretly still believe he's a wizard or is the PC term warlock? I tell ya, for a dude who's supposedly not that attractive everyone is gagging to get in his pants. It's the golden, right?

I'm getting off track here. So, I knew the MCs were freak shows, but the entire supporting cast too? There's infidelity, awkward family dynamics, an illegitimate son, an apparently requisite kidnapping and the contract killer. Now, I hate sound all creepy and whatnot, but a contract killer who's a platinum member at Hertz sounds like a sucky ass contract killer to me. What kind of contract killer uses the same name every time? Bad call, contract killer. Bad call. If I'm being honest, the whole Vegas experience was a win for me. The fracas on the roof when Daria told Will to go fall on another dick? Priceless. Then Trev had to go being all irresistible again and started dancing with the ladies just asking for trouble like a rebel!

Between the panting and gasping and crying, I understood that I needed to fill him up, he wanted it to leak out of him for hours.

Did he now? 

Yeah, he did. Because freak show x codependent/∞ = Landry. Angry sex, desperate sex, mildly kinky sex, borderline exhibitionist sex, you name it. Yet, surprisingly there was very little sex on the page. In my humble opinion, it could've used more sex *mumbles side mouth* and less plot. I know. I know. Then it wouldn't have been a true "Calmes" esssssperrience. 

The writing… what's with all the short declarative sentences that are essentially redundant not to mention repetitive? Also, what's with the dialogue? Who said what is too bourgeois for The Calmes? 

BUT, before the butthurt morphs into stabby, I did laugh. I made a butt load of weird faces. I face palmed a few times. I wish I had known about that drinking game, though. I would've saved it for a weekend and had a big time. Like a box of wine big time. 

I don't need to recommend this to anyone. Everyone's read it already!

Find out more on Goodreads.

Review: Dance (West End #1) by Teodora Kostova

Jared Hartley is happy. He has a starring role in a popular West End musical, great friends, adoring fans and his own flat in Central London. A relationship is not something he has ever really wanted. Making big plans for the future is not in his nature – Jared is content with his single status and enjoying all the benefits of that lifestyle. He doesn’t even realise something is missing in his life.
Until he meets Fenix.

Fenix Bergman has a dream – to perform on Broadway. When he gets offered the lead role in Poison – a new musical based in London, he accepts, immediately recognising the huge potential of the show.

Fenix thinks he has his life completely figured out – he will move to London, help Poison become the new West End hit and bide his time until Broadway comes knocking on his door. He has never wished for anything else but proving to himself and the world that he is a performer worthy of the biggest theatre stage.
Until he meets Jared.

Jared and Fenix’s lives collide and they fill each other’s missing pieces. Neither of them expects to feel so much, so fast for the other.

Neither of them expects to need someone so badly when love hasn’t even been in their plans.

But when Fenix’s star becomes too bright for London, will the dream he’s chased all his life ruin the dream he’s holding in his hands?

Will he survive getting everything he’s ever wanted?

Will Jared?

Hot cover, right? Paired with a promising (albeit long) blurb. The cover is my favorite thing about this book. I can stare at it all day.

This is MF author Teodora Kostova's debut MM Romance story based on an insta-love moment between theater performers, Fenix and Jared. They have a lot of sex in short period. They go through volatile ups and downs and whirlwind love throughout the novel from the moment they are together and they are together for all but 15% of the book, so that is saying a lot. set in the West End in London, the two are given a story fitting to how they were written.

I will be totally honest, this type of writing style does not work for me.

This is all telling, no showing with characters that relate to pop culture fairly well and leaves no legwork for the brain. It 's a very popular style of writing. I'm not knocking it, sometimes you just want a book to escape from reality where nothing needs to make sense as long as you get a beginning, a middle and HEA, who cares about the details? Who cares if the characters read like a early 2000's soap opera? Who cares if there are adult men acting like teenagers? This works better if you don't want substance in your fiction (and substance equates to depth and dimension - not the oodles of sex or MANtrums (Fenix needs a nap with all his hissy fitting)

And you know what the kiss of death in a story is for me? When the main characters are considered perfect.  You open the door to prove how imperfect the characters really are, no matter much it's stuffed down a reader's throat (and there is tons of repetition so it's said A LOT) Jared was "beautiful" and "perfect". Fenix was "beautiful" and "striking" and "perfect". Everyone wanted in their pants, paparazzi were all over them, all their childish antics were excused because their love is a love I guess this mere mortal can't understand.

This is Fenix:

Striking ice blue eyes, everyone wants him and he is as deep as a Ken doll. Ladies and gents, are you interested?

This is Jared:

His hair is darker and his eyes are navy blue but the scowl is spot on because he's super jealous and possessive of Fenix. You can't stare at Fenix too long or he'll mess you up. And then have massive amounts of hawt sex to make up for his lack of characteristics. And lack of depth, he's just as hollow as Fenix.

Aren't they dreamy?

The main characters start off basically the same person. They know what each other are thinking from the moment they meet. Both had tragedies seven years ago, they are only children, they perform for the theater.  They can tell what the other characters' are feeling and thinking too with mere glances. Hell in the beginning, their best friends had the same reactions and emotional range, they were basically the same person too. No real distinction with those two until later in the story but it was faint.

I have a simple way of seeing if a story has substance because there's too much sex to cover the main characters not having enough charisma to carry on this too long novel (the last 22% was unnecessary) take out the sex...do the main characters have a leg to stand on? No? Then you have a weak story. These two fell into instalove insta-dick. They had nothing going for them but sex/lust in the beginning. And another popular writing technique along with the major telling is having the characters narrate the story through unnatural dialogue. It didn't happen all the time but it was a major chunk. It's a pet peeve of mine. But this is Kostova's "West End", so it works over there. *shrugs*

I noticed my status updates developed a pattern, a formula if you will, so I'll share.

There were 3 sex scenes in the first 10%, 5 in the first 20% and their erections kept going for 48 hours; no rest periods necessary. Then, we have the co-dependent fluff, possessive, I love you - let's make rash life decisions for the next 30%. Then at 50% the imminent break up where they had miscommunication tantrums.

The sweet spot was the next 15% where the protagonists were separated, I got to see a hint of character but it got slammed by more telling, everybody is hating on them because Fenix chose to be promiscuous in his off period and Jared turned into an emotionless Ken doll, suffering for two years. They stopped being in each other's pocket and basically the same character and finally there were two separate main characters.

Then 65% happened, which was the reunion! The two are super attracted to one another because they are perfect, striking, ice blue eyes and Scandinavian cheekbones (the author liked to point this out a bit) so what do Jared and Fenix fall back on? That's right, sex.

The sex was hot but repetitive with a variation of "fuck me hard", pre-lubricated condoms, anal stretching and lube use, like a gay sex equation. I started to yawn in the latter sex parts (me? can you believe it?) and was happy for the fade to black bits.

Hmm...am I forgetting something? Oh yes, the last 22% or what I like to call it, everything but the kitchen sink was added to make a wow factor. That last fifth was so unnecessary, there is a sex tape, death, fist fight, screaming, MANtrums on octane and then a police investigation that gets partially solved by a childish bitchout on the phone. The story was over earlier than 78% but for reunion and drama sake's it should have ended there.  It's thrown in for entertainment value but I'm in that outlier reader population that didn't find it amusing. I don't need repeat scene rehashing to be beaten over the head while reading, I get the point.

To me, the story was weak, the cover was the best part. I did not like either main character but it's not their faults, it's how they were written.This is a popular book, the author has a het following that I'm sure will breach over to this series. For a first time MM novel, it's not the worst I've read, the style is not to my taste, sadly. Maybe if I read this ten years ago, I'd have rated this higher. Thankfully, it did not read like disguised MF romance...mostly (there were a few shaky parts but I won't bring them up), props to that.

So in closing:

 

I doubt I'll be reading book #2 that is being released in the upcoming weeks but you never know maybe I'll need a book where I can turn off my brain. My rating varies, I might come back and stick with the lower end, but it's in the 2-2.5 Hearts range.

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Review: (Watch Me) Break You (Run This Town, #1) by Avril Ashton

They’re in a war for control of the streets, but love will be the ultimate prize.

Here comes trouble…

Men. Women. Drugs. Dima Zhirkov’s favorite things. Add in the element of danger and he should be right as rain. But not today. It’s not working, hasn’t for a long time. He’s grasping at the flimsiest of straws to prove he’s indeed strong enough to run his streets. Until he sets eyes on him. In the midst of a room full of strangers, Dima is drawn to a man as cold and dangerous as he’s beautiful. Captivated, Dima embarks on a ruthless campaign to get his new toy into bed.

Here comes the danger…

Xavier “X” Storm is content to pull the strings while someone else handles the day to day dealings of his gang, The Rude Boys. He’s after what Dima holds closest—the Coney Island streets. He contracts out the job of killing the Russian, except Dima isn’t that easy to kill. When he suddenly shows up in X’s path, tempting him to indulge in the dirtiest play, he finds Dima isn’t all that easy to shake, either. His cocky attitude and rough submission tempts X to go where he’d vowed to never return, and they plunge head first into an affair fueled by possessive obsession.

Run for cover

Sex and pain Dima can handle, and X delivers the most depraved kind. Their connection is explosive, their games addictive, but Dima can end it whenever he wishes. He doesn’t see that X is breaking him down, giving Dima everything he wants and even more than he ever thought to need. By the time he realizes who X is and what he wants, Dima is raw and bullet-riddled. It’s run or fight. And Dima doesn’t back down. Neither does X.

Warning: Includes strong BDSM elements, and reference to rape and sexual abuse.

What I'd really like to do is yell at you. Yell at you about this book and why it is deliciously filthy and does not care what you think about it. But I can't do that.

How can you not sing this song with the title and setting? Impossible!

This book hits a LOT of my FUCK YES buttons: kinky, interracial romance, crime, blood, cumeating, raunchiness, Russians, Jamaicans, crazy, possessive main characters that will do anything to get their man back, NYC (that's right - there's more to NYC than Manhattan), rimming, tons of stuff!

Give me a criminal any day in my romance! Glorious. It was smutty and fantab. If I had to describe this book take Avril's Brooklyn Sinners series and Mine by Mary Calmes, let them mate and turn up the intensity, so much that you might need to buy ice for your pants. That's "(Watch Me) Break You"in a nutshell.

Dima is the Russian head of a gang he didn't want but has to run in Brooklyn. He has people trying to kill him from different factions, a rival gang trying to take over his turf and he can't be with the one he wants because he left him. All the alcohol, drugs and orgies can't help fill the emptiness inside him. Until he sets his eye on Xavier/ X whipping another submissive in mid scene at BDSM club. Dima gets what he wants, any means necessary. And this starts the twisty, roller coaster ride of stalk, pain, wild sex, possessiveness and violence.

What a ride!

Is it for everyone? NO! Read the blurb, heed the warning. There are non-con moments. Let me add one more too, if you're a BDSM stickler, this might not be one for you. There is BDSM practiced but it's not textbook or filled with contracts/ negotiations. Kinky? Oh yes, this was. What to expect? Well someone loves the pain - whips, belts, breath play, gun play, dildos and butt plug to name a few. The gangsters are street, not the smooth nice guys. You're getting a loose trigger with Dima and X.

X hides who he is from Dima, the lies and the violence keeps piling up. And the boys get pretty cray-cray over one another. The crazy things we do out of love, huh?

Sometimes it read more like a drama or a script instead of real life characters. The main characters did repeat their sentiments a lot for emphasis but I got the point the first time. And even I questioned one SM scene between X and Dima, you shouldn't practice while in anger. But those two are so damn twisted, I won't harp on it. This author can rock a sex scene, there's no denying that. I still have wafts of steam rising from my body. There is some action, more criminal activity and sometimes the reality suspension button had to be pushed.

Is it dark? I've read some pretty sick and dark things, so my scale might be warped compared to yours. On a scale for 1-5, 1 being the lowest and 5 is the things that will leave your soul scarred, this book is a 3. It's more stalking/crazed/sadistic than dark to me. There are guessable plot twists but you know what, the book is serious hot. If you don't look to deeply and let the flames embrace you from the hotness that is X and Dima, you have one entertaining read.

The story ends with a HEA, where at one point I seriously did not see happening. But it is Avril Ashton, she likes making her boys work from their happy ending. (BK Sinners fans we get a little visit from a Sinners couple!)

CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK, THE BLURB AT THE END HAS ONLY WHET MY APPETITE FOR MORE!!!!! I will probably need to read it in a freezer with the fire this author's writing can produce. 

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