ARC, Books

Book 811: Yes, Daddy – Jonathan Parks-Ramage

Book cover of "Yes, Daddy" with Amazon Affiliate linkThis is a dark ass book and a perfect example of what happens when I read too many MM Romances. I’m guessing I read the first part of the synopsis and either didn’t finish or blocked out the last portion when/after I requested a review copy.*

Don’t get me wrong, the fact that it’s dark definitely doesn’t take away from it being a good book, I just had no idea that it got dark and then even darker before starting to get a little lighter at the end. I did not like the protagonist, Jonah, and I do not think he redeemed himself by the end (and that is in no way victim blaming), he just wasn’t likeable.

Continue reading “Book 811: Yes, Daddy – Jonathan Parks-Ramage”

Books

Book 751: Tight Quarters (Out of Uniform #6) – Annabeth Albert

Book cover of "Tight Quarters" with amazon affiliate linkI think this might be my least favorite from Albert’s Out of Uniform series. Maybe it’s because the others were so great, but this one just didn’t do it for me.

It’s not bad, it was just sort of middle-of-the road steamy MM romance for me. It could be that I didn’t really identify with either Bacon/Del (the Navy SEAL of this book) or Spencer (the silver fox journalist—hello Anderson Cooper stand in), but it just fell a little flat for me even though I rated it pretty high because it was still a great story with super-hot sex scenes.

Continue reading “Book 751: Tight Quarters (Out of Uniform #6) – Annabeth Albert”

ARC, Books

Book 728: Where the Boys Are – Christopher Murphy

Cover of "Where the Boys Are" with Amazon Affiliate link I took quite a few days before writing this review because I wanted to be thoughtful in my critique and honest in what did and didn’t work.

It’s always a little bit harder to write a response to a novel when it’s the author who reaches out to you to review their work.* I know how much of themselves authors put into their books and to then put it out in the world, I mean come on that’s more nerve than I’ll probably ever muster, so kudos to all of you out there brave enough to do it.

I’m going to start with what didn’t work, and then end on a high with the things that I really enjoyed about this work. So, stick with me because there were DEFINITELY some highlights!

Continue reading “Book 728: Where the Boys Are – Christopher Murphy”

Books

Book 683: The Gravity of Us – Phil Stamper

Cover art for "The Gravity of Us" with Amazon Affiliate linkThis was a good story. It’s probably better than I’m giving it credit for, but that’s the way it goes when you read a lot of books.

I’m not sure if it’s an across the board meh or just a meh for right now. I know this one will stick with me so maybe it’ll improve with time. I really enjoyed Cal (Jr.) and Leon’s story and adored the nerdiness of the whole work but most of it was overshadowed with the “realness” of the characters. And yes, I feel like a total ass saying I want less real characters.

Continue reading “Book 683: The Gravity of Us – Phil Stamper”

Books

Book 604: Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies – Michael Ausiello

Talk about a gut punch—I knew going in this one was going to be brutal, I mean it’s right there in the full title: Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies, but I was not expecting to cry as much as I did. I’m not talking about a single tear escaping as I gaze wistfully into the distance. I’m talking snot running down my face, holding back sobs, and generally making people uncomfortable around me as I read it.

Yup, you read that right. I didn’t hole in up in my room or stay at home to read this, even with the very clear warning on the cover. I read it in public, on a cruise ship on the way to the Caribbean. Smart right? The timing wasn’t the greatest, but it came in at the library and I’ve been waiting to read it since it appeared on Towleroad, so I figured I would plow through it and I did. I got a chapter or two read on the plane after reading Don’t Be Cruel (#3 & #4) and then blazed through this, snot, tears and all, while laying out by the pool on the ship.

Continue reading “Book 604: Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies – Michael Ausiello”