Bailey Nicole is definitely going on my one-click author list. I think Gloria put it much more eloquently in her review, but I'll try. This was an verBailey Nicole is definitely going on my one-click author list. I think Gloria put it much more eloquently in her review, but I'll try. This was an very engaging and compelling novella, with a similar theme like the Worthless Boys series, only taken up a notch or two. The ambiance was excellent, the characters were deliciously dark and twisted, their chemistry was amazing, and it somehow had a very heartwarming ending. This is the type of romance that's dark when it comes to the relationship, as well as outside of the relationship. I loved the power exchange, the obsession, and the passion. I'll admit there were parts where I felt uncomfortable, but I'm so glad I stuck with it because it was worth it, and I think dark romance readers will love this....more
This was really sweet, steamy, and emotional, with a bit more angst than usual. The writing was beautiful. I've followed this author since his first bThis was really sweet, steamy, and emotional, with a bit more angst than usual. The writing was beautiful. I've followed this author since his first book, and even though his writing was always very enjoyable and easy to read, these last couple of books are definitely next level. It's very tight, no redundancies, and no telling instead of showing (or the perfect balance of the two). He has a way of maintaining his style, and making it compelling, while also keeping the character voices distinct.
Where this fell a little flat for me was the relationship. I'm not sure if it's the development or if I lacked on page time with them, but I felt like I was missing something. Maybe it was how much Dalton was hung up on his ex(which makes sense but still) compared to how much we got from him and Marshall emotionally. I liked both characters, and I thought they were very well developed, and I was expecting an epic resolution, but in the moment when it was all supposed to come together, I didn't feel it.
Still, when they finally got together it was very hot and emotional. Dalton's bi-awakening, and his struggles (past and present) were very realistic, and Marshall's pining was just heartbreaking. And bonus points for the ex not being a one-dimensional villain.
This one's probably me, not the book, so I would still recommend it because it was a very enjoyable. ...more
I saw some of my friends mention this, and I agree, this book is something between Once a Gentleman and AH Straight Guys series, the tone is just a liI saw some of my friends mention this, and I agree, this book is something between Once a Gentleman and AH Straight Guys series, the tone is just a little different. I liked the relationship a lot, it was very very steamy, and I loved the characters, so I'm rounding up, I just think maybe sometimes the pacing was a little off. I think it would have had more of an impact if the plot was a little tighter, and if there weren't so many internal monologues. There's miscommunication here but I don't hate miscommunication and I think here it made a lot of sense. Also, I think since it was foreshadowed, and the conflict was constructive, and a catalyst for change, this was a nice use of the trope. I think Aiden and Sebastian were great as secondary characters, without stealing the show. The resolution was a little convenient, but I liked the ending, and the epilogue was super hot and sweet....more
A little rushed and a little over the top, but I loved the couple so I'm rounding up A little rushed and a little over the top, but I loved the couple so I'm rounding up ...more
Bailey Nicole is pushing all the right buttons with this series. I was very excited to read this, and I'm happy to report I enjoyed it a lot. I loved Bailey Nicole is pushing all the right buttons with this series. I was very excited to read this, and I'm happy to report I enjoyed it a lot. I loved Teddy in the previous book, but Liam truly shines here. He was fascinating and relatable, and I loved him. Teddy's issues didn't get that much on page time as I expected, but he was still lovely and I was happy to see him get what he's wanted for years. There were a couple of moments where I was a little taken aback, but nothing to make me dnf. Really hot and very twisted, but it worked. I loved the ambience of this series, and I love seeing these guys getting to a better place in their lives. The ending was a little too neatly wrapped up, but I loved Liam's mom finally coming around, and I loved the epilogue.
Which brings me to our last order of business - JASPER AND ANT!!!! The way I am craving this book! Enemies to lovers, TONS of tension, and there seems to have been a threesome involved...more
This was very sweet, and pretty emotional. I love a life-long friendship turning into more, so that part was great. At first it seemed to go a little This was very sweet, and pretty emotional. I love a life-long friendship turning into more, so that part was great. At first it seemed to go a little too fast, but I thought the MCs had chemistry, and I liked the way their relationship progressed, especially how this new aspect was nicely intertwined with their friendship. There's a familiarity and sense of fun that comes from their closeness and I enjoyed that. I liked the writing, even though the MCs definitely read as older than 18 - which was great for me since I prefer reading about older characters, but it wasn't the most realistic. Still, very engaging, romantic, and pretty steamy. A really good best friends to lovers story....more
Well, this is my first Tal Bauer book, and this man can write! Sure, there was weirdness, and some stuff I didn't exactly believe.
But!
With any otherWell, this is my first Tal Bauer book, and this man can write! Sure, there was weirdness, and some stuff I didn't exactly believe.
But!
With any other book I would have either DNF or thrown it out the window around 70% mark (well figuratively, cause I was reading on my phone), and this one was so damn well written that I had to keep going. Not to mention - HOT!...more
This is absolutely beautiful. It was just what I needed, and I have to admit, from the glimpses I saw of Grayson and Kai in book #2 (yes, I was readinThis is absolutely beautiful. It was just what I needed, and I have to admit, from the glimpses I saw of Grayson and Kai in book #2 (yes, I was reading out of order again), I didn't expect to find them this fascinating. But they were. It was a perfect friends to lovers story. The build up was amazing, if a little frustrating because it was obvious these two were perfect for each other. It was fun seeing Gray completely in denial and then slowly accepting it and pursuing Kai. And also how Kai was so damn frustrated and trying to keep his unfortunate crush under control but he couldn't help it. They had so much chemistry and great relationship development. The pacing was excellent, and I was glued to this book. It's kind of a slow burn, or at least it felt excruciatingly slow, but once they get there it's unbelievably hot. I also loved the banter, the possessiveness, and the affection between them. This book just really worked as a whole.
Another thing - this book and the sequel, are one of the few books I've read lately that I truly consider romcoms. There's a lot of romance and steam, it's light, emotional, and it's genuinely amusing and entertaining, without cringey antics posing as comedy.
My one niggle with this book is the same one I had with book #2 - it felt like most of the character development happened to Grayson (and Connor in book #2). It was like they had to go on this completely transformative journey, while the other person doesn't change that much. I just thought the changes were a little too drastic. I liked that Grayson started thinking outside of the box, and he wasn't trying to live up to other people's expectations, but I don't think he necessarily had to turn his whole life upside down. Still, that's a very minor thing, probably personal preference, and it didn't take away from my enjoyment one bit, it's just something I noticed.
I'm having trouble rating this, so in the end I settled on a 3. The thing is, I loved the couple even more than the previous one in the series, I thouI'm having trouble rating this, so in the end I settled on a 3. The thing is, I loved the couple even more than the previous one in the series, I thought the first half was great, and I loved the premise. It had very well-rounded characters, and I thought they had a lot of chemistry. The worldbuilding was great, it had a really sexy, sensual vibe that kept my attention, and you could feel the tension between them building up. It kind of lost me near the end, I thought the B-plot was a little contrived, and it dragged for a while. I still enjoyed the two of them together - I thought they had a solid connection, and they were unebelievably hot, but I felt the story had a lot more potential. Also, these books are very light on the formal BDSM, and I like that, I just think they would have worked very well, maybe even better, without the formal part. It feels like that aspect is more pronounced in how the story is framed than it does in their interactions.
I would still recommend this book if you're looking for something low angst, really steamy, with a mild daddy kink....more
I enjoyed this one a lot. It's a best friends to enemies to lovers, very character-driven, and with a lot of emphasis in hurt and comfort.
I loved theI enjoyed this one a lot. It's a best friends to enemies to lovers, very character-driven, and with a lot of emphasis in hurt and comfort.
I loved the banter. I loved how well-developed all the characters are, and how you never know where it's going. It definitely doesn't follow the typical romance novel structure. It starts when the characters are in school and it brings us to present day, with quite a few flashbacks, and it's very gripping.
I loved how Michael was unapologetically himself, and how much Jared worked to live his life on his own terms. The steam is off the charts. There's also almost a feeling of a love triangle here, which I usually don't enjoy, but it's resolved quickly, and really well dealt with, and also I could feel every bit of chemistry and attraction, so I really enjoyed it. I also liked seeing how much they've changed over the years, but how they still have that connection, and those boys are still the same deep down.
Now - HUGE SPOILER AHEAD - another thing I liked about this book is that it finally gave me something I've been looking for a while - (view spoiler)[ a representation of a somewhat open-ish relationship - the MCs have a threesome with their friend, and it's implied that they will continue to do that, while staying emotionally commited to each other. It's not exactly the open relationship I've been looking for, but not the usual strict monogamy either. My only niggle with that part is that, while it was foreshadowed and gradual, there was still some whiplash from how quickly Jared went from being possessive, and jealous to wanting to share that with Michael and Ben, and I feel like they needed to communicate about that part a little more. And also, even though they're friends at that point, I feel like Michael and Ben having feelings for each other before had a lot of potential for messiness. Still, extremely hot, and I loved that we finally get something other than monogamy or polyamory in a book. (hide spoiler)]
So, yeah, I would have like that part to be a bit more developed, but it didn't really take away from my enjoyment that much. I also loved the friends and the found family aspect. I would have liked the plot to be a little tighter and more linear, but it's nothing drastic.
All in all, just a very well-written book with so much love and chemistry. Maybe not your typical romance, but I enjoyed it, and I'm really excited for what comes next....more
Fun, hot, definitely a little OTT but I didn't mind it here because the MCs had great chemistry and they were doing everything I wanted them to do. LoFun, hot, definitely a little OTT but I didn't mind it here because the MCs had great chemistry and they were doing everything I wanted them to do. Lots of fluffiness, jealousy, and other great forced proximity/fake relationship stuff...more
“You haven’t changed at all,” Vikram said. “Have you? You can still wrap me round your little finger.”
I enjoyed this very much. It took me a mome “You haven’t changed at all,” Vikram said. “Have you? You can still wrap me round your little finger.”
I enjoyed this very much. It took me a moment to get into the story, or mostly the mystery part, but when I did, it was great. It's a lovely second chance romance, with excellent writing, two very different men, and a lot of pining. I would have liked to see more of them together, but I still liked this a lot. Vikram is a very stick in the mud kind of guy, and Gil is more carefree and used to pulling himself up by the bootstraps, and I love seeing couples like that. This is pretty emotional, and whenever their past was mentioned, it was just filled with longing. I loved how those intense feelings of first love and attraction never really went away. I liked the ending, and even though I would have liked to see more of them together, it was very optimistic and emotional.
The audiobook narration is great too, and the audiobook is included in the Scribd subscription, in case you're like me and you always forget to check...more
This may be the after-reading high talking, but these two are amazing. That's a lot of passion, steam, and action packed into such a short read. It stThis may be the after-reading high talking, but these two are amazing. That's a lot of passion, steam, and action packed into such a short read. It starts off pretty hot, but then it gets even hotter, and much more emotional. The writing is really good. It really feels like you're in Matteo's head, the characters are interesting, and the relationship development is great. They dynamic here is one of those slightly D/s where it isn't formal BDSM, but more intrinsic to the relationship, and it's nicely shown instead of told.
Matteo is a little self-destructive, a bit of a loose cannon, submissive and needy. Nikolas is in control, and definitely what Matteo needs, but he's not the usual, eternally calm and collected, almost heartless dominant. Granted, you only get to see him slip up couple of times, but it's so effective. It made the connection and the pull between them even the better, and it makes up for the lack of his POV. They're both equally vulnerable and invested. The conflict wasn't the most groundbreaking, but it was realistic. It was even slightly foreshadowed and in a couple of those instances I really held my breath due to how their emotions affected me.
I loved it, I couldn't put it down, and I will be looking for more from this author because I am loving these novellas. Maybe I shouldn't have given up after Honeythorn. And since this review might end up longer than the actual book - I highly recommend this, and it's free in Vivancos Voyeurs FB group. ...more
“For the first time in my life, I don’t wanna go afterward. I just wanna stay with you.”
“It’s a crush. We’ve all had them on a straight guy before “For the first time in my life, I don’t wanna go afterward. I just wanna stay with you.”
“It’s a crush. We’ve all had them on a straight guy before. This too shall pass.”
I am in love with this book. The Endgame didn't work for me that much, and I didn't feel a lot of chemistry there, but damn, this one is great.
I loved Jeremy. I loved Darren. I loved the two of them together right from the start. To be honest, unless there's like ages of mutual pining, friends to lovers can fall flat for me. And somehow this book managed the perfect dynamic and progression for me. It wasn't a slow burn by any means, but it still gave me all the build up, pining, even a bit of oblivious jealousy, and then it kept my interest when they got together. I loved their friendship, I loved how playful and flirty they were without realising where they were heading, especially Darren. I kept giggling at their banter and swooning at their affection. Also, this book has one of the hottest phone sex scenes I've ever read, in case anyone was wondering.
“We lay there together for a moment, neither of us speaking. Don’t change your mind. Don’t let it be too much.”
“There was this ache inside me that only he could cure, and damned if that wasn’t the best feeling in the world. Also the scariest.”
There was no big gay freakout, maybe only a tiny one, and it was wonderfully dealt with. Mostly, the bi-awakening was pretty angst free, at least when it comes to their relationship. Most of the angst comes from making the relationship work while facing outside challenges. Darren went all in with his feelings, and I loved how commited he was to Jeremy. Still, the rude awakening he got when he had to face the real world was realistic, and I liked how they both handled that struggle. I loved how patient and supportive Jeremy was, how much he cared, and how he wanted Darren's family to accept him. That's all mixed in with really hot sex, schmoopiness, and domesticity.
The story was very well-paced, and it ended at the perfect moment, with a lovely epilogue to boot. When I was done reading I got that feeling that the book was just right, and I love that. I enjoyed this so much that I actually loved the nicknames, so all the stars for Angel and Troublemaker....more
I could realistically round it up, but I think my expectations were much higher at this point in the series.
I think for me the problem here was maybeI could realistically round it up, but I think my expectations were much higher at this point in the series.
I think for me the problem here was maybe Ridge? I feel like he had no personality other than to be Apollo's former best friend who ended up partnered with him. I liked the idea of two bears together, and their past getting in the way of things. When I started reading, I was hooked. That scene the night before the wedding was awesome, especially when Ridge describes the feeling of rightness that finally made him realize things. But from there on it sort of ebbed and flowed. I think Apollo and Porter had more chemistry during their dinner than Apollo and Ridge. And I love a grumpy character, but all of Apollo's literal grunting and growling got a little tedious after a while. That said, I liked that Apollo was like Daniel and called out the other guys (side-eyeing my problematic fave Stone) on their immature behaviour. I think my biggest niggle was that we were constantly being told about their epic connection but I didn't feel it. The sex was superhot, and I loved those scenes, but all the push and pull felt a little empty. Still, it wasn't bad, it was actually pretty enjoyable, and I am unbelievably excited for the mechanics spin-off.
My (kind of arbitrary) ranking: 1. Screwed 2. Stud 3. Nailed 4. Caulky 5. Drilled 6. Stripped 7. Hardwood...more
I passed on this book at least a dozen times. I don't really like reading about celebrities (hockey players don't count), I'm not that into football pI passed on this book at least a dozen times. I don't really like reading about celebrities (hockey players don't count), I'm not that into football players, and it seemed like a typical closeted jock in a friends to lovers romance. So when I saw some poor reviews I told myself I can finally move this from the "probably not" pile to the "definitely not" pile. Obviously, curiosity got the better of me. ...more
I loved this. It was engaging, it didn't have any frivolous drama, it was funny but realistic. This is a solid, if unexpected, friendship that turns iI loved this. It was engaging, it didn't have any frivolous drama, it was funny but realistic. This is a solid, if unexpected, friendship that turns into more. I loved the fact that it's two older MCs, I loved their banter, and I love how they gradually go from friends with benefits to realising how much they care about each other. They're both very snarky, and it's very amusing, but between those exchanges you can see it growing into something more. Their backgrounds account for a lot of their attitudes and their general approach to life, and I liked how they slowly came to recognise that.
These two are opposites, but they're kind of two sides of the same coin. I loved the irony of their relationship. Laurie just spent his life free-floating and fixing others people's lives, and then by doing just that (partially in an attempt to distract from his own troubles) he fell for, and ended up relying on the most self-sufficient, high-handed man. On the other hand, Magnus spent his whole life trying be rational, maintaining control, and guarding his feelings to avoid heartbreak due to growing up with the unstable nature of "artist types", only to find love and stability with one of them through a no-strings relationship.
I love how much they complemented each other, cared for each other, and how reciprocal their relationship was in that respect.
There's a lot of those seemingly small, but very touching moments, like spending a day at the park together or Mags tricking Laurie into falling asleep by reading the poorly written book to him, that really made me fall in love with them.
It just felt like two men who've been around the block and they know what they want in their lives, or at least they think they do. They have one of those connections that is obvious to everyone but them, but it felt very realistic.They're kind of falling into a relationship even though they didn't plan on it, and they're not sure what to do with it, but they're also mature enough to say it out loud. The conflict was really heartbreaking and it's not necesarily a groundbreaking plot twist, but it was written so well.
There's no miscommunication exactly, just stubbornness and a reluctancy to part with the life and worldview they'd both had until they now. In the end, they don't completely change their personalities because they got together. They're still slightly antagonistic and very snarky, and the spark we see the first morning is still there, but in a very affectionate and loving way.
“I only wanted to be alone because I thought I could never find a man to be with,” Isaac said. “And now I have found you.
“I understand after I leave“I only wanted to be alone because I thought I could never find a man to be with,” Isaac said. “And now I have found you.
“I understand after I leave, when my heart hurt so bad. It is only you for me.”
This is one of those reviews where I just wax lyrical about the book for an hour, so TL;DR - great book.
The writing is so good I would have to give it a 5 star regardless of everything else. Thankfully, everything else worked too. It's original, captivating, and strikingly moving. The book starts with some gritty, powerful imagery, and it keeps that tone throughout, but with a bit more hope.
Both Isaac and Lenert are well-developed characters. Lenert's whole backstory broke my heart, and Isaac simply won me over with his earnestness. I loved the contrast between the two of them. There's a huge difference in how they are treated by their families, the opportunities they've had, and their relationship experiences. Lenert's past revolved largely around purely physical, even transactional experiences, and he is now developing an emotional connection he hadn't dreamt of having, and maybe wasn't even aware he wanted. On the other hand, Isaac is, after having his heart broken, finally finding the intimacy he wanted, and at the same time getting more opportunities to experience the thrill of his sexuality, even if it's just an acknowledgement of a mutual attraction.
It's a pretty slow burn, but high heat and very sensual, and the sex scenes mostly serve a narrative purpose (big fan of that). The way their relationship develops is organic and true to character. I got a little frustrated with the push and pull at times, but I was glued to the page. As weird as it sounds, while there was something missing for the couple to be one of my favourites (maybe not twisted enough for me), the book probably will be. The secondary characters are equally intriguing - from the minor characters who still jump off the page, to those who play a bigger part like Solomon and Amos.
The worldbuilding is wonderful. I loved the setting and the historical elements. That, along with the effective prose and authentic, interesting characters truly immerses you in the story. It's very poignant, and it just turned me into a little ball of yearning. Even though this is low angst, it's not exactly a light read, because it's pretty intricate, with mentions of some heavy topics, but it's a very engaging story, and it flows beautifully.
So, obviously I enjoyed this book a lot. This was a whole experience for me. I loved it, and I'll probably be re-reading it. I highly recommend this....more
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