kayetaz's reviews
381 reviews

Friendly Fire by Saxon James

Go to review page

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
Format: audiobook
Narration: 🎤🎤🎤.5/5

This was pretty cute.

Rafe and Cam were adorable together, once we got past their little “enemies” stage which I still don’t really understand at all.

I really appreciated the ace representation in this book, and how it looked a lot different than the norm. Rafe was relatively uninterested in sex but was fine with engaging in it every once in a while to feel close to Cam and give him pleasure. Which is a real and valid ace experience, that we don’t see a lot of.

My only negatives with this book were the weird antagonistic views Rafe had towards Cam in the beginning for no reason, and for the way he treated Laura and wouldn’t just put his foot down with his parents. I felt for him, but it was all very unnecessary. But I’ll also say, without those things, the book would’ve probably been very boring. I just wish they had some better, more entertaining things to focus energy on.

Overall, this series has been sugary sweet and relatively low-angst. Except for Just Friends which I DNF’d.
Pretty Broken Doll by Bree Wiley

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
Format: ebook

“It’s just him and me, two broken people with nothing in common who somehow make each other whole.”

I absolutely ate. this. up. Thank you, Bree, for getting me out of yet another reading slump.

Let me start with Shilo. The sweetest little broken boy who deserves all the best things in life, and for most of the time, much better than Ryann. My heart hurts for everything he went through before we meet him, and I ache for everything Ryann put him through.

Ryann—it took me a really long time to warm up to him. He was fighting his own demons, but taking it out on Shilo and his body. But he did eventually worm his way into my heart and earned everyone’s forgiveness.

The spice in this book was insane. Cockwarming is my kryptonite. And all the plugs and stretching and edging was just too good. But I especially just adored the way they became emotionally closer each time they had sex. The soft moments becoming more frequent.

There is a lot of triggering content in this story. Bullying, homophobia, eating disorders, etc. Definitely check the warnings thoroughly.

Also, HI, HUCK AND TAY! My sweet boys.

Bree is surely making a name for herself in the MM genre, as she deserves. She always writes such complex and flawed characters that wrap me around their fingers and take me on a journey. Can’t wait to see what she has for us next!

*I received a free advanced copy of this book from the author and this is my voluntary, honest review.
Too Close to Love by M.A. Innes

Go to review page

slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

2.5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️.5/5
Format: ebook

This definitely had a ton of potential but unfortunately we didn’t really reach it.

The amount of information squeezed into the small page count just didn’t work for me. Too much telling, not nearly enough showing. All a bunch of details that didn’t matter to the reader because we never got to see that part anyway, as the book ends before they move into the apartment and start at the school that was info dumped about.

There was a ton of buildup to the singular sex scene, which would have been fine if it were an especially good scene, but I don’t think it was. It was pretty boring and almost awkward.

There was also a lot of blame put on the parents for not accepting their relationship, which? Of course they don’t? Love me a taboo romance, but it’s laughably unrealistic to think parents would be okay with their sons being together. Most of what the parents did wasn’t okay, but in that one instance they can’t possibly be blamed.

Mostly just a miss for me.
Getting Friendly by Saxon James

Go to review page

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
Format: audiobook
Narration: 🎤🎤🎤/5

This started out really strong and I enjoyed the premise, but then the relationship randomly moved way too fast as the initial chemistry kind of fizzled out.

I enjoyed both main characters, they were genuine and super likable. I also really liked the opposites attract aspects. And kind of the fact that Auggie wasn’t really Leon’s type but their emotional connection was stronger than that detail.

Also really liked the plot line and how Leon had Auggie’s back when it came to his dad. And really just how he believed in him and supported him even though he was clumsy and made a lot of mistakes. They were just very sweet.

Once the physical part of their relationship started, I just think everything started moving way too quickly. When they were professing love, I was kind of confused. But other than that, I really liked the buildup we got before that part.

I’m excited to finally get Rafe’s story. He’s been the most talked about character in all the other books of this series and I really hope his book lives up to the hype it’s been giving off.
Head Above Water by CE Ricci

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

3.2 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: audiobook
Narration: 🎤🎤🎤🎤.5/5

Cannon deserves the entire world. Truly one of the best mmc’s I’ve ever read. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about Easton. And in the end, I just don’t think he was good enough for Cannon.

Just the way that everyone failed Cannon. His dad, his stepmom, his stepbrother/boyfriend. The only character who did actually seem to deserve him, he cheated on.

Easton was unbearable. From his teenage years when he was starting shit for no reason and making Cannon take the fall time and time again, to the way he acted when Cannon came home. And then even when they got together, all he did was take and take, and never gave anything back. Cannon lost everything and everyone in his life, yet still had to be taking care of Easton and prioritizing his grief over his own. And Easton never once took accountability for any of it. Even when he figured out why Cannon left, he was still cold and cruel towards him.

I do understand the hype and why so many people love this. I think if there hadn’t been the third act, I could’ve maybe been more pleased with the outcome. But that was kind of my last straw with Easton. He didn’t even try anything at the wedding. And then just all the angst and sad themes just seemed to get to be too over the top. They didn’t add to the plot, it was just angst for the sake of angst.

Zachary Johnson is a god, he deserves five stars just for getting me through this book. Would I have loved Cannon as much if he wasn’t narrated by Zachary? Maybe. Probably. We’ll never know. Michael Dean was certainly…there. -.5 star for that.

I think this is where I part ways with this author. I’ve tried really, really hard to like her books other than Iced Out. But it just seems to be that at least one character always winds up driving me nuts the whole time, and I’m exhausted.
Off Balance by Rebecca Rathe

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
Format: ebook

“The rush of blood from my head to my groin makes me feel off balance, but Dom supports my weight as he brings me to rapture.”

One of my favorite things about Rebecca’s books is her talent of flipping stereotypes on their heads and writing completely out of the box. I always know I’m about to read something unique that I haven’t seen a hundred times before.

Cam and Dom were absolutely wonderful together. I loved the hurt/comfort aspects of this book so much. But I also just adored the way they fit into each other’s worlds so easily and gave the other the unconditional love and support they needed.

I don’t think I’ve hated a character more than I hated Emile. Cam deserves all the best things in life, and I’m so happy he’s getting them with Dom. Cheating is never okay, but in this book it 10000% is.

The spice of course was spicing because it’s Rebecca Rathe. Again, I love how stereotypes are completely discarded and Dom and Cam do what feels right to them rather than what’s the norm. Their chemistry was scorching hot.

Also shout out to Dwayne for being a great brother and stepfather. I just enjoyed him as a side character so much and how he supported both of our main characters.

Okay, give me the next book now!

*I received a free advanced copy of this book from the author and this is my voluntary, honest review.
Forbidden Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James

Go to review page

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

2 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Format: audiobook
Narration: 🎤🎤🎤/5

Going from the perfection of Bromantic Puckboy to this was certainly a choice. I’m not really certain Knox and Easton needed a whole novel, especially when nearly half of it was updates about the other Queer Collective members, and setting up the next Puckboys book. This truly could’ve been an optional novella about what the original members were up to and a little blip about this new couple.

“Forbidden” in the title was also a choice when the forbidden aspects of the relationship were addressed before they even began dating. Brother’s best friend but make the stakes literally nothing. I was just bored, I don’t know. And if I actually enjoy seeing Ezra and Oskar over the main couple, there’s an issue.  

I will say I am super interested in Connor and Parker. We should’ve gotten their book after Bromantic and scrapped this one.
The Fishermen by C.P. Harris

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 21%.
on hold
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

3 ⭐️
Spice: 0/5 🌶️
Format: audiobook
Narration: 🎤🎤🎤🎤/5

Cute, but ultimately unremarkable and forgettable.

I think my biggest issue was that the author seemed to want to pack in as many tropes as humanly possible, which added nothing to the characterization and just made their already strained forming relationship have a super shaky foundation.

Charlie was very sweet but I felt nothing from him. He was super bland. And Dev was overly complex. It just wasn’t the best match up for me.

I did love the premise of this book. Gay Bachelor, but falling in love with a producer instead of one of the women. But the reasons Charlie went on the show never sat right with me, and I think if he was truly there to find love and found it in an unexpected place, that would’ve been cute. However he just would up coming off disingenuous.

I appreciated the attempts at mental health and neurodivergent and demisexual representations, but again, there was just way too much being pushed into the narrative that it was messy.

I’m going to stop picking up books based solely on the cute covers. They never end well for me.
Presidential Chaos by Saxon James

Go to review page

funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

4.8 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: audiobook
Narration: 🎤🎤🎤🎤/5

This was a fun series, and this was definitely my favorite of the three so far. The first two books really hyped up this couple and I think it was worth the wait.

Charles and Zeke were great characters, and both super sweet. Their inner thoughts about each other were adorable. And then Zeke just turning out to be this super soft lover who was obsessed with Charles was everything.

Can we talk about Charles being a closeted freak too? I love an exhibitionist kink, especially when it comes from a super strait-laced and rigid character. The spice was just especially spicing in this book.

I just wish we got more about when they started hooking up. I know Charles propositioned Zeke, but how? Why? He was always a bumbling mess around Zeke and trying to hide his feelings, so how did it even happen? And I guess I just wanted more of when they were finally together too. They were hiding away for 95% of the book and then their big “reveal” just felt kind of unsatisfying.

MORE BABY MILES THOUGH, my sweetest boy. Him getting all flustered when a guy asked him to formal and saying he didn’t swing that way. Aw, sweetie. That’s adorable.

I lowkey am not at all interested in the fourth book of this series but I’m sure I’ll read it.