alecashlark's reviews
28 reviews

Short but so, so good. Neve Wilder never fails to deliver a fast-paced, well-written steamy romance between two easily relatable, well-developed characters. Test Me is a 17k-word short story in the salacious Extracurricular Activities Series by beloved author Neve Wilder. Extremely recommended.


Neve Wilder is one of the few “love at first read” authors for me. I remember falling in love with their books effortlessly; it was quick and easy. And having read this now, the same feeling comes back to me.

Every time I read a Neve Wilder book, I get this feeling of slowly sinking into the story. Like one moment I’m reading the first paragraph and then the next I’m already deep into the book and loving it. It’s the same with this one. I believe it’s the writing style. It’s just so smooth, so seamless.

Another thing that I love about this book and all others from the author, is the character development. Although the characters here aren’t deeply or extensively explored, I find it easy to make a connection with them. For instance, I feel like Logan is that annoyingly responsible friend of mine who never fails to submit a school work and never misses a deadline, and Josh is an older cousin of mine who’s sporty, cool and confident, and a hopeless romantic.

And lastly, a signature of the author is a sexy romance with steamy sex scenes. Although there are only a few of those in this book, they are enough to give the story that extra heat that I look for in my romances.

All in all, Test Me is a quick, very enjoyable read, one that’s made me decide to find the time to reread all of Neve Wilder’s previous books and look forward to many more from them.

Damn, it’s so easy to laugh out loud with this book. Super Hot Wingman is the prequel novella to The Best Men, the highly anticipated collaboration book of the lovely Lauren Blakely and the amazing Sarina Bowen. One that’s effectively served its purpose because before reading it, my excitement and expectations for The Best Men were sky-high— now they’re up there in outer space.


All right. So we have Mark, a Wall Street guy, soon-to-be divorced daddy, and protective brother to his sister Hanna, who has fallen madly in love with a guy named Flip over the short course of the weekend.

Then we have Asher, a soccer (football!) superstar, Calvin Klien model, plus Best Friend Forevah and super hot wingman to penthouse-owning and brass sculpture-collecting Flip.

Mark is bothered by the lightspeed in which Hanna and Flip’s relationship progresses. Hanna has been burned badly before and Mark doesn’t want it to happen again. Mark’s gut tells him that Hanna will get hurt again, this time by Flip, which is why he shouldn’t be drooling over Flip’s best friend Asher.

But how is Mark suppose to do that when Asher saves trapped animals on the street, when Asher charms Mark’s daughter and buys her cookies, and when there’s a photo online in which Asher reclines on a white divan with a fashion-week pout, in nothing but a pair of blue briefs?


The writing style is flawless.

I already love the main characters, loving, protective Mark and fun, charming Asher, but I’m still on the fence with the supporting characters, Flip and especially Hanna, who seems like an airheaded person to me.

It’s not even actually started yet but the chemistry is so delicious already and the hint of an impending thick sexual tension is really promising. I’m looking forward to some steamy hot encounters.

Super Hot Wingman is a sexy, fun, and feel-good read, which tells me The Best Men will be more so and even better.

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A charming and lighthearted second-chances romance that features a charismatic chef and a taciturn accountant, the palpable chemistry and years of history between them, two adorable dogs and their delightful friendship, and lots and lots of warm, intimate moments. It has themes of family, chasing dreams, finding home, and new beginnings. Definitely recommended.

The Premise:

Due to diverging paths in life, DeShaw and Malik filed for divorce and went their separate ways. But seven years later, they find out that the divorce didn’t go through. Now, with DeShawn’s grandma dying of cancer and a lawsuit filed against Malik, the two will have to present a united front and play-pretend that they’re finally back together. Will they take this chance to rekindle their love or will they end it once and for all?

My Review:

What hooked me in was the undeniable chemistry between DeShawn and Malik and their obvious love for each other, despite having been separated for over seven years. What kept me coming back and made me stay were the many delicate, sweet moments between these men, which never failed to warm my heart. A most welcome bonus were their two adorable dogs, Corey and Bruno, and their endearing friendship that made me smile every single time. My only issue with the book was that I could’ve done less of the publicity and reality TV stuff, which felt superficial to me and unimportant to both the characters and the story.

All in all, Jayce Ellis has written a beautiful story and brought to life two memorable characters (and dogs!).



The ARC was provided by HARLEQUIN - Carina Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a precious gift, an utter delight and truly unforgettable. Hands down the most heartwarming and heartfelt queer book I've ever read. It's a story of love, acceptance, and bravery that features two of the most adorable and lovable main characters ever; a steady burn, full-body kilig-inducing romance; a sexually diverse cast of memorable supporting characters; and a very solid, well-handled queer representation. It's the best if not perfect, is what I'm saying. I feel so lucky to have read this book I could cry.


Storyline:

AB is a bisexual pop star who’s sworn off dating partly because of the stress and pressure from public and media attention and party because he’s been made a sexual experiment by one curious asshole, who’s also the reason he’s been going to years of therapy for anxiety and OCD.

Matthew is a varsity athlete, a hockey legacy, and a #1 overall draft pick who’s months away from joining the NHL. All his life, he’s been looking for that one in a million girl that he can have an electric connection with, all the while truly believing that he’s straight.

Then one random day, those two meet and the instant, charged connection is bonkers. To Matthew, this is a dream come true, with just one, uhm, major catch: AB is obviously not a girl. But to AB, this is a nightmare come alive. Matthew is the very trigger of his anxiety and OCD, a person he should be making huge efforts to avoid.

But despite said major catch, Matthew still wants to see where this connection can take them, even if it’s just friendship. So he asks for AB’s number. But AB, having just enough sense of self-preservation despite his interest in Matthew and this connection between them, insists that Matthew gives him his number and that AB will decide whether or not he’ll contact Matthew.

It’s been two weeks and still nothing from AB, and Matthew is feeling more despondent by the hour. He’s worried he’s lost his chance at making a real connection before he even had it. Meanwhile, AB is still deliberating. He knows it’d be reckless and irresponsible to befriend Matthew, but he wants to. Eventually, AB caves in and texted Matthew.

From there, the story goes on to tell of friendships and self-discoveries, of falling in love and making it work, of sincere words and intimate moments, of acceptance and support, of family and love and bravery.

Review:

Let’s talk about the characters first. AB and Matthew have taken a lot from me, a lot of adoration, admiration, and love. There's just something inherent in these characters that warrants and demands those things. I see it not only in how they interact with each other but also in how they interact with everyone else.

It’s rare for me to care enough about some of the supporting characters, but it’s even rarer for me to really care about all of them. And I mean all of them: AB’s best friend, their mothers, his bodyguard, friends, and bandmates, Matthew’s twin sister, their parents and grandparents, his roommates, friends, and teammates. Just thinking about all of them makes me smile right now. It’s amazing.

Now the romance. It’s sweet and sincere, cozy and intimate, light but profound, not fiery but bright nonetheless. It’s a steady burn romance with a lot of heartfelt moments that make me hold onto my chest in a futile attempt to relieve the overwhelming pressure, but every now and again there are these intense moments that tease me at how consuming it can be if the author goes there. There is no explicit sex scene, but the sexual tension is obvious and it alone is more than enough to excite me. It’s been just two days since I finished the book and I’m now already feeling nostalgic about the romance.

Lastly, the queer representation. The book opens with a dedication that says: “For all the bisexuals out there—this one’s for you.” And that early on you I see the author’s commitment to and sincerity in representing queer people. Both main characters identify as bisexual, and many relevant issues are addressed well, although not at length or not too deeply. The amount of understanding, acceptance, and support from friends, family, and even strangers shown in this book are too much for my heart to take. Indeed, the queer representation is the most emotionally rewarding, uplifting, and inspiring part of the story.


Gods, how do I close this? I don’t know, but I hope I’ve done the book justice with this review. I hope many people will read this book and that they’ll feel what I feel and experience the beauty that is the story it holds. To me, this is the book I read a hundred others to find. I'm definitely going to reread this over and over again.


The ARC was provided by NineStar Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and critical review.

This book is about losing one's footing then getting back on one's feet, family acceptance and abandonment, becoming worthy of someone's love and not settling for less than what you deserve. This is a beautiful read despite all its shortcomings. It's well-written and has interesting and relatable characters. Although the romance is unremarkable and the plot mediocre, the theme is effective and relevant. Recommended if you want to be entertained while killing time, but not if you're looking for something more profound.

Writing

The writing style is neat and precise, a pleasant respite from the long and winding sentences from my last read. There's little to no nuisance and redundancy in details, but I struggle with some ambiguous conversational phrases, although that's on my non-native English speaking ass. The narration is well-paced and the dialogues are engaging.

Characters

We have Wes, a half closeted spy who doesn't exactly know himself and whose life is in shambles. Then we have Tom, a survivor who knows exactly what is best for himself and what he wants in life. Wes, I can relate to as a gay man but can't help but be annoyed with for not manning up. Then Tom, I completely admire for settling only for what he is worth and nothing less.

Romance

Wes and Tom have conflicting dispositions and are in opposite situations in life. They also struggle and fight for dominance in their relationship, especially in bed. These, for me, are not the ingredients for a good romance. I also disliked that during sex, whenever one comes the other follows right after. This might be romantic, but it's cliche and I'm not buying. What's wrong with not coming simultaneously?

Plot

I don't think much thought is put into plotting the story. The sequence of events is uninteresting, bland, and unremarkable. I don't like that the spy and military sides of Wes and the other characters are not utilized to make the plot more exciting, despite having prologue and the first three chapters show those sides of the characters. What I'm trying to say is, if the author doesn't intend to use those sides of the characters for the bigger picture, then she shouldn't waste three parts of the book showing them.

Theme

The book talks about family acceptance being contingent upon sexual preference, gender identity, body shape, political views, etc; of parents not loving their children for having failed in these categories. Many LGBTQ people have experienced, are experiencing, and will experience this, and I love how this issue is presented and thankful for how the book stands against those behaviors.


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King of the Dark (The Prince’s Assassin #1) has an intriguing setup that's supported by an exciting buildup but is tarnished by a lackluster climax and an underwhelming ending. Regardless, the main characters are real and well-fleshed out, and the execution of integrating the romance into the plot is nothing short of superb. King of the Dark is recommended if one is looking for a very slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance set against a backdrop of trauma, mystery, danger, and betrayal.

Final rating: 4 stars | Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Plot: ⭐⭐⭐ | Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:

The writing style is like that of a surgeon's cut— it's clean and precise. Nuanced but without nuisance. The deliberate use of specific words,phrasing, and sentence structure is effective in achieving its intended effect on me as a reader. This allows for a smooth, almost seamless reading experience. The story is written in a third-person limited POV narration that is quite immersive; it almost reads like a first-person.

The main characters, especially Niko, have that extra depth that I look for in characters. Their desires and fears and motivations are splayed on the page. They are so real, Niko more so than the others, that I am more occupied with what's happening inside their heads than what's happening around them. Consequently, I particularly like the introspections that, despite the type of narration, are engrossing.

I can't remember ever having read a type of "romantic atmosphere" like the one in this book. It's refreshing, to say the least. The romance is so well done under the given circumstances that I would be fine if the enemies-to-lovers prospect never happened. Still, throughout most of the book, I'm wondering and anticipating how that romance will transition or morph from one type to another. And again, the manner in which the romance is utilized in achieving one plot element is so, so good.

The plot starts good and it builds up even better. There's trauma, then suffering, then intrigue, then danger, then mystery. But sadly, the part of the book around climax and ending is a bit rushed and therefore lacks intensity and conviction. There's more than enough emotion, but it's not given proper "page time" to actually move me as a reader. The general antagonist is reputed to be savage in their ways, and this part could be an opportunity to demonstrate that live, but I discover nothing more about them than what I already have prior. Nevertheless, I have never been surprised by a twist the way I am by the one in this book.

I've watched every second of Game of Thrones and The Witcher, and King of the Dark has little to no significant resemblance to both TV series. This book has not an ounce of Game of Throne's blatant ruthlessness and deceitful maneuvers, and neither has this book a drop of The Witcher's thrilling monster hunts and action-packed adventures. With that said, King of the Dark is a compelling story all on its own and doesn't have to be falsely compared to other stories to draw readers.


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Heart of a Witch is a gripping novel about family, injustice, grief, love, and revenge, the heart of which is a fierce, strong-willed heroine.


Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Character: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Romance: ⭐⭐⭐ | Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Final rating: 4 Stars

Review

At first, a few poor writing choices result in the narrative getting a bit clunky and less fluid than I prefer, but the writing style very quickly improves so much. The dialogues are quick, fluid, and sharp, with the occasional wit. I really love the conversations, especially the ones between Victoria and her siblings. I have an issue with a handful of excessive expositions, some of which ruin the tension and anticipation during the rise to the peak of the plot.

The POVs of the main characters aren’t as present on the page as I’d like, considering that the story is told in dual first-person narration. There are instances where I’m left wondering, “How exactly does she feel during this scene? What exactly is he thinking?” But there are also times when the POV is so stark I can easily gauge the character’s emotions and clearly hear their introspections in my head. So the issue actually lies on the point of views lacking in terms of quantity and not quality.

I have almost nothing bad to say about the character development. I only like some of them, but I’m never indifferent toward any of them, which is what matters. They affect me and make me feel, be it irritation, frustration, sympathy, or disdain. That in itself is a testament to how well-developed these characters are. The minor ones are all interesting and Elijah himself is conflicted and struggling enough to be a relatable main character, but I’m most drawn to Victoria. She’s a woman of bravery, ferocity, cunning, and determination— the ideal heroine. But she’s also loving and loyal and selfless when it comes to her family.

The romance isn’t as strong as one would expect from the blurb. There isn’t much of the fiery interactions between the main characters that we see a lot of in most enemies-to-lovers romances. But nonetheless, what the book has in terms of romance is more than enough to turn me on, make me swoon and root for Victoria and Elijah’s relationship.

The plot is just the right combination of predictability and surprise. When there’s romance in a story, most of the time the main characters end up together in the end. For that to happen the plot must be accommodating, and that’s where the predictability comes from. The surprises are due to the many new things that come into play in the revenge part of the plot, the plans for which are clever enough that I’m always excited how they’re going to unfold and satisfied when they do.

All in all, I enjoy reading Heart of the Witch and recommend it to those who like a badass heroine, a challenging romance, and a gripping plot of revenge.


Quotes

“That’s because plans that work take time, organization, and a slow but steady rise.”

“Besides, I figure if you can give me a headache within only a few minutes, then hearing yourself all the time must be a constant migraine.”

Having a strong imagination was both a blessing and a curse.

“It’s called fiction, and I like it. The stories feel so real. They connect me to something deeper than I have in real life.”

Every family had its black sheep, I supposed, though my family was full of them.

“Memories have a way of holding onto us, don’t they?”

“They think I’m weird.” “You are weird,” I said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “The best people are, sister.”

“Darkness recognizes darkness.”

“We’ve all made mistakes , but that’s the great thing. We can always change ourselves for the better.”

Grief never went away, not really. It just felt less and less suffocating with each passing week.


The ARC was provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and critical review.

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