Scan barcode
booksafety's reviews
510 reviews
Bear by Jacki James
3.0
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
So, I enjoyed this book a fair amount, but I do wish a couple of things were played into a bit more. First off: the tension between Ty and Bear was fantastic early on, and I wish it was a slower burn so we’d get more of the delicious tension. It didn’t have to be angsty, but playing into Ty’s insecurities a bit more would have lived up more to the blurb. He struggles with everyone expecting him to be and act a certain way because of the way he looks, and after a point in the book, that felt a little forgotten. What I loved about the book is the unconventional Daddy/boy dynamic, so again, I just wish there was more of it.
All of this is my personal preferences though, there’s nothing wrong with the book.
The dialogue between Ty and Bear felt a little too perfect sometimes, a little unnatural maybe, but it got better near the end.
Overall enjoyable, with sweetheart daddies and two bears finding love where they didn’t think to look for it.
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Versatile
TW/CW: explicit sexual content, daddy kink, mention of growing up in poverty
Tropes & tags
Bears, handymen, artist, sculptor, daddy/boy dynamic, insecure MC, friends to lovers, softball, large friend group, MC that needs to take care of everyone is finally cared for by someone else
So, I enjoyed this book a fair amount, but I do wish a couple of things were played into a bit more. First off: the tension between Ty and Bear was fantastic early on, and I wish it was a slower burn so we’d get more of the delicious tension. It didn’t have to be angsty, but playing into Ty’s insecurities a bit more would have lived up more to the blurb. He struggles with everyone expecting him to be and act a certain way because of the way he looks, and after a point in the book, that felt a little forgotten. What I loved about the book is the unconventional Daddy/boy dynamic, so again, I just wish there was more of it.
All of this is my personal preferences though, there’s nothing wrong with the book.
The dialogue between Ty and Bear felt a little too perfect sometimes, a little unnatural maybe, but it got better near the end.
Overall enjoyable, with sweetheart daddies and two bears finding love where they didn’t think to look for it.
Book safety
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Versatile
TW/CW: explicit sexual content, daddy kink, mention of growing up in poverty
Tropes & tags
Spoiler
Bears, handymen, artist, sculptor, daddy/boy dynamic, insecure MC, friends to lovers, softball, large friend group, MC that needs to take care of everyone is finally cared for by someone else
Last First Kiss by E.M. Denning
3.0
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
The book was enjoyable, but I did have a bit of a hard time connecting with the characters. I simply wasn’t very invested. That might be my own fault, who knows.
I’m a huge fan of age gaps, but this one was very large (24 and 50, I think), which, together with the lack of connection with the characters, made it feel a little uncomfortable in the beginning. It definitely improved eventually and I was happy with them ending up together.
This book didn’t have an epilogue, which might be my biggest pet peeve ever. Just let me see them happy and in love for a couple of pages. It would honestly have helped the story a ton, for me atleast.
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Cheating: Not between MCs, but one MCs ex cheated on him before he went back to his hometown. Not on page.
OM drama: The ex tries to get him back for a moment, but nothing bad comes of it.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: Dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles
TW/CW: explicit sexual content, betrayal/cheating (not between MCs), stitches, blood, mentions of sick parent and death
Tropes & tags:
May/december age gap, Hollywood actor ex boyfriend, bisexual MC, dad’s best friend, small town/hometown, handyman
The book was enjoyable, but I did have a bit of a hard time connecting with the characters. I simply wasn’t very invested. That might be my own fault, who knows.
I’m a huge fan of age gaps, but this one was very large (24 and 50, I think), which, together with the lack of connection with the characters, made it feel a little uncomfortable in the beginning. It definitely improved eventually and I was happy with them ending up together.
This book didn’t have an epilogue, which might be my biggest pet peeve ever. Just let me see them happy and in love for a couple of pages. It would honestly have helped the story a ton, for me atleast.
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Spoiler
Cheating: Not between MCs, but one MCs ex cheated on him before he went back to his hometown. Not on page.
OM drama: The ex tries to get him back for a moment, but nothing bad comes of it.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: Dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles
TW/CW: explicit sexual content, betrayal/cheating (not between MCs), stitches, blood, mentions of sick parent and death
Tropes & tags:
Spoiler
May/december age gap, Hollywood actor ex boyfriend, bisexual MC, dad’s best friend, small town/hometown, handyman
The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard by Charlie Cochet
4.0
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
This was just a delightful, short and fun read. It was exactly what I needed, as I’ve struggled with finishing a bunch of books lately.
It has all the humour you can expect from a Charlie Cochet book, with a cute little romance sprinkled atop a quest through enchanted forests, massive palaces, hell hounds and faeries. Literally magical.
An ocelot and a wolf walk into a bar… You just have to read it, lol.
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: Dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict
TW/CW: explicit sexual content
Tropes & tags
Ocelot shifter, wolf shifter, alpha wolf, prince/bodyguard, mates/mating, quest, enchanted forest
Favorite quotes:
«I was the prince! If I couldn’t randomly bite someone who annoyed me, what good was my title?»
«Grimm pointed to the large painting on the wall beside us. ‘Isn’t that an interesting piece of art?’ ‘Don’t try to distract me, you-‘ I made the mistake of glancing to where he pointed. ‘Oh, it is, isn’t it? Look, there’s a little rabbit in it’s burrow!’»
This was just a delightful, short and fun read. It was exactly what I needed, as I’ve struggled with finishing a bunch of books lately.
It has all the humour you can expect from a Charlie Cochet book, with a cute little romance sprinkled atop a quest through enchanted forests, massive palaces, hell hounds and faeries. Literally magical.
An ocelot and a wolf walk into a bar… You just have to read it, lol.
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: Dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict
TW/CW: explicit sexual content
Tropes & tags
Spoiler
Ocelot shifter, wolf shifter, alpha wolf, prince/bodyguard, mates/mating, quest, enchanted forest
Favorite quotes:
«I was the prince! If I couldn’t randomly bite someone who annoyed me, what good was my title?»
«Grimm pointed to the large painting on the wall beside us. ‘Isn’t that an interesting piece of art?’ ‘Don’t try to distract me, you-‘ I made the mistake of glancing to where he pointed. ‘Oh, it is, isn’t it? Look, there’s a little rabbit in it’s burrow!’»
Renovating the Model by Nora Phoenix
4.0
Book safety down below.
Man, this book was a pleasant surprise. I never thought it wouldn't be good, but I definitely have some personal hang-ups about books that start with a hookup or a friends with benefits situation. There's just something about the FWB trope that gives me so much anxiety, but the angst was honestly super low.
I think the best way for me to describe this book, is that it's an honest love story. It just felt easy and right, even through the hard parts. It felt natural and real. And good god, it's so nice to read about characters that are emotionally intelligent, honest with themselves and others, and that communicate like proper adults. It shouldn't be as much of a novelty as it is in the romance world, but it really is.
These guys weren't perfect, but they were secure enough in themselves to be vulnerable, and that can really go a long way, even when there's problems (of which there was very few). Tiago and Cas simply talked with each other the whole way. They had honest conversations about sex, friendships, expectations, etc. Of course there was some uncertainty when they realized they had feelings for each other, but even that was eventually communicated about, where as in other books, similar situations have been used to create a cheap plot line that does nothing but annoy the reader. It was wonderfully refreshing.
Another thing I appreciated was that the author showed us how good the MCs were for each other. We got to see them take care of each other in both little and big ways, which at times was very, very cute. Both characters felt like real people. They had some insecurities, and in other ways they were confident. For example, Tiago is a world famous supermodel and is constantly talked about for his looks, but he has severe dyslexia, which is a massive source of insecurity, and has been for over 30 years. Like real people (and onions), there were several different layers to their personalities (add Shrek picture here.)
One of the most interesting things in the book was Tiago's relationship with his twin brother, which was decidedly unhealthy, but evolved into something better during the book. They noticed, talked about and worked on something that didn't work anymore. Not without growing pains, but it wasn't used for cheap drama either.
There is one more thing I wan't to point out, and that is how they deal with and talk about a friend of theirs that passed away. About how people who die 'before their time' are often worshipped, no matter who they were, how they acted and what they were like when alive. They lost someone who was their friend, but he was also a bad person sometimes, and those two things can be hard to reconcile and come to terms with without feeling bad for thinking those things about a dead person. It was an interesting angle to include in the book, but I appreciated it.
I always struggle with giving books star ratings. I feel like a written review is able to tell so much more about any book. I guess I won't give it 5 stars, only because it lacked that something extra that makes me absolutely giddy about certain books, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that I really enjoyed this and would recommend it.
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: Dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Versatile. They switch on page.
TW/CW: mentions of death of a friend, mentions of car accident, facial scarring, dyslexia (and discrimination based on it), mentions of MC struggling with food and general discussions about eating disorders, explicit sexual content, side character is the victim of domestic abuse (not on page, but described in retelling), one MC was the victim of revenge porn
Tropes & tags
Age gap, model, handyman, silver fox, small town, learning disability, facial scarring, friends with benefits, fake relationship, paparazzi/news, twins, co-dependency, house renovation
Favorite quotes:
"'Did you go to school here? I don't recognize you.' I snorted. 'I don't mean to be rude, but you graduated before I was born.' He put a hand on his heart, pretending I'd shot him. 'Ouch.'"
"Where was a hole to swollow me when I needed one? Just a teensy tiny sinkhole, a very local one?"
"'Is it that strange that I find you hot? Or is it the age difference that's bothering you?' He frowned. 'Why would that bother me?' 'I don't know, maybe because you think it's creepy when a guy my age hits on you?' His mouth dropped open. 'You're hitting on me?' I chuckled. 'I'll take that as a hint that I need to work on my flirting game.'"
"And as flurries drifted down outside, visible in the moonlight that peaked between the clouds, I held my Cas and dared to dream of a future together, one where I could hold him like this many more nights. [...] One where we'd grow old together. Oh, how my heart ached."
Man, this book was a pleasant surprise. I never thought it wouldn't be good, but I definitely have some personal hang-ups about books that start with a hookup or a friends with benefits situation. There's just something about the FWB trope that gives me so much anxiety, but the angst was honestly super low.
I think the best way for me to describe this book, is that it's an honest love story. It just felt easy and right, even through the hard parts. It felt natural and real. And good god, it's so nice to read about characters that are emotionally intelligent, honest with themselves and others, and that communicate like proper adults. It shouldn't be as much of a novelty as it is in the romance world, but it really is.
These guys weren't perfect, but they were secure enough in themselves to be vulnerable, and that can really go a long way, even when there's problems (of which there was very few). Tiago and Cas simply talked with each other the whole way. They had honest conversations about sex, friendships, expectations, etc. Of course there was some uncertainty when they realized they had feelings for each other, but even that was eventually communicated about, where as in other books, similar situations have been used to create a cheap plot line that does nothing but annoy the reader. It was wonderfully refreshing.
Another thing I appreciated was that the author showed us how good the MCs were for each other. We got to see them take care of each other in both little and big ways, which at times was very, very cute. Both characters felt like real people. They had some insecurities, and in other ways they were confident. For example, Tiago is a world famous supermodel and is constantly talked about for his looks, but he has severe dyslexia, which is a massive source of insecurity, and has been for over 30 years. Like real people (and onions), there were several different layers to their personalities (add Shrek picture here.)
One of the most interesting things in the book was Tiago's relationship with his twin brother, which was decidedly unhealthy, but evolved into something better during the book. They noticed, talked about and worked on something that didn't work anymore. Not without growing pains, but it wasn't used for cheap drama either.
There is one more thing I wan't to point out, and that is how they deal with and talk about a friend of theirs that passed away. About how people who die 'before their time' are often worshipped, no matter who they were, how they acted and what they were like when alive. They lost someone who was their friend, but he was also a bad person sometimes, and those two things can be hard to reconcile and come to terms with without feeling bad for thinking those things about a dead person. It was an interesting angle to include in the book, but I appreciated it.
I always struggle with giving books star ratings. I feel like a written review is able to tell so much more about any book. I guess I won't give it 5 stars, only because it lacked that something extra that makes me absolutely giddy about certain books, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that I really enjoyed this and would recommend it.
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: Dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Versatile. They switch on page.
TW/CW: mentions of death of a friend, mentions of car accident, facial scarring, dyslexia (and discrimination based on it), mentions of MC struggling with food and general discussions about eating disorders, explicit sexual content, side character is the victim of domestic abuse (not on page, but described in retelling), one MC was the victim of revenge porn
Tropes & tags
Spoiler
Age gap, model, handyman, silver fox, small town, learning disability, facial scarring, friends with benefits, fake relationship, paparazzi/news, twins, co-dependency, house renovation
Favorite quotes:
"'Did you go to school here? I don't recognize you.' I snorted. 'I don't mean to be rude, but you graduated before I was born.' He put a hand on his heart, pretending I'd shot him. 'Ouch.'"
"Where was a hole to swollow me when I needed one? Just a teensy tiny sinkhole, a very local one?"
"'Is it that strange that I find you hot? Or is it the age difference that's bothering you?' He frowned. 'Why would that bother me?' 'I don't know, maybe because you think it's creepy when a guy my age hits on you?' His mouth dropped open. 'You're hitting on me?' I chuckled. 'I'll take that as a hint that I need to work on my flirting game.'"
"And as flurries drifted down outside, visible in the moonlight that peaked between the clouds, I held my Cas and dared to dream of a future together, one where I could hold him like this many more nights. [...] One where we'd grow old together. Oh, how my heart ached."
The Good Boy by J.A. Rock, Lisa Henry
4.0
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
I’ve read so many books since I read this one that it feels like it’s been years and not months since last time. I went for the audiobook this time, and it was just as good as the first time. I liked the narrator well enough, but he pronounced ‘ready’ like ‘raidy’, which really threw me off every time, lol. I’ve read a lot more books with kink since last time, which also gave me a better understanding of their relationship dynamic.
This books largely deals with the complex psychology behind both kink/the BDSM lifestyle as well as trauma, and the difficulty the characters face when trying to navigate a kinky relationship when one of the MCs has a lot of unresolved trauma (and I mean a lot).
The book also dives into victim psychology, which is really interesting as well as extremely complicated. Self blame, anger, denial, etc. Definitely not a cheerful read.
Two things I don’t like/missed:
1) Derek should have had to grovel a lot more for some of the things he did and said early in the book. So much of the focus was on Lane that Derek kind of got off a bit cheap. The way he sometimes treated Lane was definitely not up to BDSM/Dom standards.
2) Lane should have been in therapy. Full stop. If he was, this might have been a 5 star book. What Lane went through and the issues he had because of it afterward were very serious, and the author should have included professional help. I’m all for using kink and a partner to help you through some sh*t, but it’s not enough.
Oh, and bring the tissues for one of the scenes with Andy. You’ll know which one.
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No. Extenuating circumstances separates them for about 24 hours.
POV: 3rd person, dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict top/bottom roles
TW/CW: sexual assault, physical assault, injuries, degradation, impact play, pain play, kink, BDSM, mild breath play, pet play, restraint, explicit sexual content, suicide (side character)
Tropes & tags
Age gap, enemies to lovers, kink, BDSM, false accusations, loss of fortune, community outcast, found family, animal shelter, family betrayal, white collar crime, poverty, pet/puppy play, collaring
I’ve read so many books since I read this one that it feels like it’s been years and not months since last time. I went for the audiobook this time, and it was just as good as the first time. I liked the narrator well enough, but he pronounced ‘ready’ like ‘raidy’, which really threw me off every time, lol. I’ve read a lot more books with kink since last time, which also gave me a better understanding of their relationship dynamic.
This books largely deals with the complex psychology behind both kink/the BDSM lifestyle as well as trauma, and the difficulty the characters face when trying to navigate a kinky relationship when one of the MCs has a lot of unresolved trauma (and I mean a lot).
The book also dives into victim psychology, which is really interesting as well as extremely complicated. Self blame, anger, denial, etc. Definitely not a cheerful read.
Two things I don’t like/missed:
1) Derek should have had to grovel a lot more for some of the things he did and said early in the book. So much of the focus was on Lane that Derek kind of got off a bit cheap. The way he sometimes treated Lane was definitely not up to BDSM/Dom standards.
2) Lane should have been in therapy. Full stop. If he was, this might have been a 5 star book. What Lane went through and the issues he had because of it afterward were very serious, and the author should have included professional help. I’m all for using kink and a partner to help you through some sh*t, but it’s not enough.
Oh, and bring the tissues for one of the scenes with Andy. You’ll know which one.
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No. Extenuating circumstances separates them for about 24 hours.
POV: 3rd person, dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict top/bottom roles
TW/CW: sexual assault, physical assault, injuries, degradation, impact play, pain play, kink, BDSM, mild breath play, pet play, restraint, explicit sexual content, suicide (side character)
Tropes & tags
Spoiler
Age gap, enemies to lovers, kink, BDSM, false accusations, loss of fortune, community outcast, found family, animal shelter, family betrayal, white collar crime, poverty, pet/puppy play, collaring
Becoming Daddy Wolf by Tia Fielding
4.0
ARC review
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
I have to say, I really liked the world the author has created with this one. Of course there was a lot of character introductions, considering it's the first book in the series, but that's to be expected. I'll likely read the next book as well. The author did a good job making you interested in the side characters without completely overwhelming you with information.
As for this book specifically, I was highly intrigued by the blurb. Arie has been crushing on his boss Ren for two years. Unbeknownst to Arie, they are actually fated mates, which Ren has kept secret. I do wish we got a better explanation as to why it was kept a secret, but I thought their eventual friendship and relationship was very sweet, and the fact that Arie gave Ren a bit of a hard time over it made up for a lot of it.
The book starts with Ren having gone through something highly traumatic, and our MCs start building a closer friendship when Arie supports Ren while he works through some of his trauma. I commend the author for making this a slow process, including some rough moments and therapy. Absolutely no magic d*ck in sight, people! Speaking of d*ck, this is a slooow burn (we're talking the 90th percentile here folks). BUT, when we finally got down and dirty, it was very good. We even got some surprise knottage, which I'm always here for.
One of my favorite moments was very early on when Arie cuddles Ren while he's in wolf form (oh, he's a wolf shifter, I guess I forgot to mention that), and it was very cute. More of that in the next book, please! We got some other cute and funny moments too:
"For a few seconds I was sure he would throw the fruit at me, but instead, he turned the glare to my direction, before pointedly chomping on the banana in a way that made my c*ck want to crawl inside my body. Point taken."
"'Can I get the kisses first, and the good pain pills second?' Very, very quietly he added, 'I don't wanna miss the kisses."
"'What did Daddy just say?' he asked sharply. 'I dunno, maybe Daddy should stop talking about himself in third person and-ow!' This smack was much harder."
I enjoyed how even though Ren is the big bad wolf, as well as an alpha, it was Arie that took on the caregiving and supportive role early on in the book, even though he's *only* human. Arie and his brother had a fallout with the rest of their family, partially because of speciesism, so it was nice to see the MCs being equals. This only strengthened their eventual Daddy/boy dynamic, in my opinion. When Ren eventually assumed the Daddy role, we understood why that made sense for him, and because we've seen them being equals, the power exchange felt authentic, and like something they both wanted, not just needed. I love Daddy/boy, but if you don't, I will say it was pretty mild overall.
Unfortunately, this book did have what might be my biggest pet peeve: no character descriptions. I know Ren is 6 foot 2 inches tall, but that is sadly all we got. I like knowing what the characters look like. We got quite a thorough description of Arie's brother, Leon, so I think we should have gotten one for our MCs as well. Other than that, I was entertained throughout the book, and even though the tropes are familiar, it was done in a way I haven't read before, which was neat!
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles (only one scene where this is applicable)
TW/CW
Discipline (corner timeout), violence, murder, blood, hospitalization, PTSD, mental health struggles, stalking of side character, hate crime (beating), homophobia, speciesism, religious bigotry, explicit sexual content
Tropes & tags
Shifter/human, wolf shifter, boss/employee, fated mates, slow burn, friends-to-lovers, knot, Daddy/boy, domestic discipline, workplace family, rock star brother, hurt/comfort, caretaking
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
I have to say, I really liked the world the author has created with this one. Of course there was a lot of character introductions, considering it's the first book in the series, but that's to be expected. I'll likely read the next book as well. The author did a good job making you interested in the side characters without completely overwhelming you with information.
As for this book specifically, I was highly intrigued by the blurb. Arie has been crushing on his boss Ren for two years. Unbeknownst to Arie, they are actually fated mates, which Ren has kept secret. I do wish we got a better explanation as to why it was kept a secret, but I thought their eventual friendship and relationship was very sweet, and the fact that Arie gave Ren a bit of a hard time over it made up for a lot of it.
The book starts with Ren having gone through something highly traumatic, and our MCs start building a closer friendship when Arie supports Ren while he works through some of his trauma. I commend the author for making this a slow process, including some rough moments and therapy. Absolutely no magic d*ck in sight, people! Speaking of d*ck, this is a slooow burn (we're talking the 90th percentile here folks). BUT, when we finally got down and dirty, it was very good. We even got some surprise knottage, which I'm always here for.
One of my favorite moments was very early on when Arie cuddles Ren while he's in wolf form (oh, he's a wolf shifter, I guess I forgot to mention that), and it was very cute. More of that in the next book, please! We got some other cute and funny moments too:
"For a few seconds I was sure he would throw the fruit at me, but instead, he turned the glare to my direction, before pointedly chomping on the banana in a way that made my c*ck want to crawl inside my body. Point taken."
"'Can I get the kisses first, and the good pain pills second?' Very, very quietly he added, 'I don't wanna miss the kisses."
"'What did Daddy just say?' he asked sharply. 'I dunno, maybe Daddy should stop talking about himself in third person and-ow!' This smack was much harder."
I enjoyed how even though Ren is the big bad wolf, as well as an alpha, it was Arie that took on the caregiving and supportive role early on in the book, even though he's *only* human. Arie and his brother had a fallout with the rest of their family, partially because of speciesism, so it was nice to see the MCs being equals. This only strengthened their eventual Daddy/boy dynamic, in my opinion. When Ren eventually assumed the Daddy role, we understood why that made sense for him, and because we've seen them being equals, the power exchange felt authentic, and like something they both wanted, not just needed. I love Daddy/boy, but if you don't, I will say it was pretty mild overall.
Unfortunately, this book did have what might be my biggest pet peeve: no character descriptions. I know Ren is 6 foot 2 inches tall, but that is sadly all we got. I like knowing what the characters look like. We got quite a thorough description of Arie's brother, Leon, so I think we should have gotten one for our MCs as well. Other than that, I was entertained throughout the book, and even though the tropes are familiar, it was done in a way I haven't read before, which was neat!
Book safety
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles (only one scene where this is applicable)
TW/CW
Spoiler
Discipline (corner timeout), violence, murder, blood, hospitalization, PTSD, mental health struggles, stalking of side character, hate crime (beating), homophobia, speciesism, religious bigotry, explicit sexual content
Tropes & tags
Spoiler
Shifter/human, wolf shifter, boss/employee, fated mates, slow burn, friends-to-lovers, knot, Daddy/boy, domestic discipline, workplace family, rock star brother, hurt/comfort, caretaking
Ted's Temerity by Anna Sparrows
4.0
Book safety! Spoilers ahead.
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third act breakup: No
POV: Dual
TW/CW: mentions of child death, Daddy/little, Princess play, impact play, spanking
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third act breakup: No
POV: Dual
TW/CW: mentions of child death, Daddy/little, Princess play, impact play, spanking
Wanted: Tender Daddy by Sammi Cee
4.0
rtc
Book safety!
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third act breakup: No
POV: Dual
TW/CW: mentions of past sexual abuse by family member, mentions of parental death, mentions of homelessness, Daddy/boy
Book safety!
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third act breakup: No
POV: Dual
TW/CW: mentions of past sexual abuse by family member, mentions of parental death, mentions of homelessness, Daddy/boy
Hanging With Daddy by J.P. Sayle
4.0
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
3.5 stars rounded up.
This book was too cute for words. Very mild age play with more focus on pet play. And when I say pet play, I mean koala play!! I bet you can imagine the cute cuddliness happening throughout the book. Of course it was super duper sugary sweet, but both Gaines and Austin had some insecurities to work through, as well as figuring out how to make time for each other in their busy lives. They were both workaholics who needed a better work/life balance, and they were each others motivation for making that happen. I enjoyed that, even though there's a 13 year age gap between them, Gaines is 27 years old and independently wealthy (family money as well as successful in his own right), which means that they felt like they were equals outside of their power exchange dynamic. If anything, Gaines was a sugar daddy for his daddy, lol.
Gaines' best friend Matty was adorable as well, and I appreciated how he was included in the MCs lives. Not in a sexual way, but in pretty much every other way lol. Gaines and Matty have zero boundaries with each other, and it was cute as hell. Oh, and the spice was really good you guys. Oh oh, plus points for Bertie (Gaines' awesome dad).
If you enjoy pet play and/or age play and want something with low angst to entertain you, give this a go. I mean, there's koalas.
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act drama: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles
TW/CW
Kink, pet play, mild age play with no diapers or wetting, explicit sexual contenet
Tropes & tags
Age gap, pet play, age play, aerialist, Daddy/boy, koala, pride parade, best friend, kink, BDSM, using-your-daddy-as-a-tree (you best believe it's hot), needy boy
3.5 stars rounded up.
This book was too cute for words. Very mild age play with more focus on pet play. And when I say pet play, I mean koala play!! I bet you can imagine the cute cuddliness happening throughout the book. Of course it was super duper sugary sweet, but both Gaines and Austin had some insecurities to work through, as well as figuring out how to make time for each other in their busy lives. They were both workaholics who needed a better work/life balance, and they were each others motivation for making that happen. I enjoyed that, even though there's a 13 year age gap between them, Gaines is 27 years old and independently wealthy (family money as well as successful in his own right), which means that they felt like they were equals outside of their power exchange dynamic. If anything, Gaines was a sugar daddy for his daddy, lol.
Gaines' best friend Matty was adorable as well, and I appreciated how he was included in the MCs lives. Not in a sexual way, but in pretty much every other way lol. Gaines and Matty have zero boundaries with each other, and it was cute as hell. Oh, and the spice was really good you guys. Oh oh, plus points for Bertie (Gaines' awesome dad).
If you enjoy pet play and/or age play and want something with low angst to entertain you, give this a go. I mean, there's koalas.
Book safety
Spoiler
Cheating: No
OM drama: No
Third-act drama: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles
TW/CW
Spoiler
Kink, pet play, mild age play with no diapers or wetting, explicit sexual contenet
Tropes & tags
Spoiler
Age gap, pet play, age play, aerialist, Daddy/boy, koala, pride parade, best friend, kink, BDSM, using-your-daddy-as-a-tree (you best believe it's hot), needy boy
Weaker Than Instinct by Becca Seymour, Becca Seymour
5.0
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
"If he knew the effect he had on me-how everything else all but disappeared when he had me in his sights-how would he react?"
Dude, I love when a book has believable chemistry and sexual tension. That's the good stuff. Jett Shaw and Vaughn Michaels definitely had an instant connection, but it didn't feel like instalove. Sometimes you just meet someone you click with, and that was definitely the deal with these boys. Michaels was a little gun-shy maybe, but not because of a fear of love or connection, but a fear of losing someone else after losing his previous work partner in the SICB. This is detailed at the end of book 1, but you could read this as a standalone without any problems. There's a couple recurring characters, but nothing crazy where you'll feel like you've missed half the plot.
"To protect and serve was like a distant memory. Instead, seek and destroy all the f*cked-up criminals in our world had become my new mantra." I think it's safe to say that Michaels had lost his way for a while there, lol.
I enjoyed the mystery/suspense part in this book a lot, and just the whole general premise of this one hits so many good tropes. An experienced agent is sent to the training academy in order to solve a case where cadets are going missing after dropping out of the program. He's paired up with the top cadet in the entire academy, Jett Shaw, in order to find out what's happening.
"'Kent has your academy pass and has sorted your paperwork. On paper, you're there for a month-long sabbatical as part of the academy's teaching and training program.' No.' I gasped, legit struggling for breath at the horror of it all." Honestly, this interactions had me giggling more than strictly necessary.
Shaw isn't arrogant, but he definitely has that swagger that just draws people in. He's a little cocky, sure, but for good reason and not obnoxiously so. His interactions with Agent Michaels were awesome. He looks stoic on the outside when meeting the older agent, but on the inside he's fangirling, lol. I loved it. These guys just seemed to have fun together, and that's one of my favorite things to read. Where the connection and friendship feels natural. Oh, and the spice in this was definitely a step up from book 1. Thank you, Becca!
"'Take a seat.' Relieved he directed me to sit, I went gladly, preferring the safety of a table separating us rather than standing and not knowing what to do with my hands." Same Shaw, same. I'm glad badass shifter law enforcement-trainees don't know what to do with their hands in formal situations either, lol.
This book contains a (to me) often dreaded trope: the fake relationship. BUT, fear not! This is the kind of fake relationship I can get behind. There was no character pretending like there was nothing more going on, or dragged out pining that only gets resolved in the last 3% of the book, etc. They both acknowledged that there was more going on (atleast to themselves), and the fakeness was for the sake of their mission/op.
There's one thing I felt was missing here that we got loads of in the previous book, and that was interactions between characters while one or both of them were in their shifter form (wolf and panther for Michaels and Shaw respectively). I honestly forgot I was reading a shifter book at times, which I'm a teensy bit sad about. Cuddles or caretaking of the other MC while shifted is one of my favorite things about shifter books, so I wish there was just more. Overall though, I highly enjoyed this. The suspense, action and relationship was on point.
Book safety
Cheating: No
Other man/woman drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles
TW/CW
Injury, blood, explicit sexual content, explosions
Tropes & tags
Age gap (8 years), wolf shifter, panther shifter, training academy, secret shifter law enforcement, fake relationship, trainee, agent, paranormal, mystery, suspense, super soldiers
"If he knew the effect he had on me-how everything else all but disappeared when he had me in his sights-how would he react?"
Dude, I love when a book has believable chemistry and sexual tension. That's the good stuff. Jett Shaw and Vaughn Michaels definitely had an instant connection, but it didn't feel like instalove. Sometimes you just meet someone you click with, and that was definitely the deal with these boys. Michaels was a little gun-shy maybe, but not because of a fear of love or connection, but a fear of losing someone else after losing his previous work partner in the SICB. This is detailed at the end of book 1, but you could read this as a standalone without any problems. There's a couple recurring characters, but nothing crazy where you'll feel like you've missed half the plot.
"To protect and serve was like a distant memory. Instead, seek and destroy all the f*cked-up criminals in our world had become my new mantra." I think it's safe to say that Michaels had lost his way for a while there, lol.
I enjoyed the mystery/suspense part in this book a lot, and just the whole general premise of this one hits so many good tropes. An experienced agent is sent to the training academy in order to solve a case where cadets are going missing after dropping out of the program. He's paired up with the top cadet in the entire academy, Jett Shaw, in order to find out what's happening.
"'Kent has your academy pass and has sorted your paperwork. On paper, you're there for a month-long sabbatical as part of the academy's teaching and training program.' No.' I gasped, legit struggling for breath at the horror of it all." Honestly, this interactions had me giggling more than strictly necessary.
Shaw isn't arrogant, but he definitely has that swagger that just draws people in. He's a little cocky, sure, but for good reason and not obnoxiously so. His interactions with Agent Michaels were awesome. He looks stoic on the outside when meeting the older agent, but on the inside he's fangirling, lol. I loved it. These guys just seemed to have fun together, and that's one of my favorite things to read. Where the connection and friendship feels natural. Oh, and the spice in this was definitely a step up from book 1. Thank you, Becca!
"'Take a seat.' Relieved he directed me to sit, I went gladly, preferring the safety of a table separating us rather than standing and not knowing what to do with my hands." Same Shaw, same. I'm glad badass shifter law enforcement-trainees don't know what to do with their hands in formal situations either, lol.
This book contains a (to me) often dreaded trope: the fake relationship. BUT, fear not! This is the kind of fake relationship I can get behind. There was no character pretending like there was nothing more going on, or dragged out pining that only gets resolved in the last 3% of the book, etc. They both acknowledged that there was more going on (atleast to themselves), and the fakeness was for the sake of their mission/op.
There's one thing I felt was missing here that we got loads of in the previous book, and that was interactions between characters while one or both of them were in their shifter form (wolf and panther for Michaels and Shaw respectively). I honestly forgot I was reading a shifter book at times, which I'm a teensy bit sad about. Cuddles or caretaking of the other MC while shifted is one of my favorite things about shifter books, so I wish there was just more. Overall though, I highly enjoyed this. The suspense, action and relationship was on point.
Book safety
Spoiler
Cheating: No
Other man/woman drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Strict top/bottom or vers: Strict roles
TW/CW
Spoiler
Injury, blood, explicit sexual content, explosions
Tropes & tags
Spoiler
Age gap (8 years), wolf shifter, panther shifter, training academy, secret shifter law enforcement, fake relationship, trainee, agent, paranormal, mystery, suspense, super soldiers