Publication date: June 16 2015 Published by:Intermix Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, BDSM, Contemporary Rating:
Justin White may not look like an up and coming corporate superstar, but his new boss knows he has the smarts, grit, and determination to succeed. Now he just has to convince his company’s CFO, Eli Ovadia. Unfortunately, Justin can’t seem to keep his cool around the domineering Eli—and soon he finds himself taking their heat from the boardroom into the bedroom….
Still haunted by a tragic accident that left him with a wounded leg and broken heart, Eli has a need to be in control. But his desire for Justin makes him want to lose that control—and push them both far beyond their limits. But will his need to dominate Justin drive him away—or will Eli find a way to be the man he needs for both of them?
Such a weird book. First 10% was good, a little before 30% I lost interest, then the BDSM scene at the club happened and it was great, and then around 80% onwards it kinda deflated for me. Eli was awesome, I didn't really care for Justin.
I should probably say at this point that I am not into hardcore BDSM. Light bondage and a slap here and there I'm fine with. I like the power play, and I totally get the need to exert control and willingly surrender it, but the need to inflict so much pain on someone else, even if it's concesual, I still can't fully accept. I mean no offense, it's just a completely personal thing.
However. What I found interesting is that I didn't mind BDSM in this book. Maybe because Justin always appeared to be in control (even when Eli thought he was. Pff!) and take what he wanted when he wanted and no more, which gave him some sort of power even when he was being caned bloody. Unfortunately, in the end, it fell flat and I think it had to do with the fact that the author tried to stuff so many things in there. She didn't know whether to make the book hot and sexy, romantic and sensitive, or angsty and dramatic. One book can be both for sure, but this one wasn't, and the transitions were sudden and awkward. Note to self: give more BDSM books a chance :)
Publication date: September 2 2016 Published by: Dreamspinner Press Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Sports, Contemporary Rating:
Spartanburg Spitfires’ goalie and captain Isaac Drake ended last season with an unexpected trip to the playoffs. He’s found a home and family with his coach and mentor, Misha Samarin, and he’s looking forward to making a serious run for the Kelly Cup. But things take an interesting turn when Isaac’s archnemesis, Laurent St. Savoy, is traded to the Spitfires. After Laurent’s despicable behavior in the playoffs last year, Isaac wants nothing to do with him – no matter how gorgeous he is. But that changes when Isaac discovers the reason for Laurent’s attitude.
Laurent St. Savoy grew up the only son of a legendary NHL goalie in a household rife with abuse, constantly treated like a disappointment on and off the ice. When a desperate attempt to escape his father’s tyranny sends him to the Spitfires, the last thing Laurent wants is to make friends. But there’s something about Isaac Drake that he can’t resist, and Laurent has an opportunity to explore his sexuality for the first time, but he’s cracking under end-of-the season pressures. When facing the playoffs and a rivalry turned personal vendetta, Isaac’s not sure he’s enough to hold Laurent—or their relationship—together.
Such a cute story-I loved both Isaak and Laurent. Well, Laurent way more, let's be honest. His self flagellation and the unreservedness kind of reminded me of myself and I really felt for him. He was great with Isaac and their relationship didn't seem rushed at all to me-it felt natural. Would Isaac have done the same for someone he wasn't attracted to? Imo, no. But that doesn't make him a bad person and definitely wouldn't stop him from telling people off for bullying someone, no matter who it was. Both Power Play and Empty Net were the cutest stories, without being sickly sweet, and tackled some serious issues at the same time. They were probably some of the most addictive books I have ever read, I could not, for the life of me, put them down, and I am seriously sleep deprived because of it. Also Gale's sense of humour and the ease of the characters interactions, made all the difference. I thoroughly enjoyed them and I would definitely recommend them.
Publication date: July 10 2018 Published by:Delacorte Genre: NewAdult, Historical, Violence, Suspense, Fantasy Rating:
Haunted by the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever . . . and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed . . . and would he even want it?
Lada's rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won't rest until everyone knows that her country's borders are inviolable. Determined to send a message of defiance, she has the bodies of Mehmed's peace envoy delivered to him, leaving Radu and Mehmed with no choice. If Lada is allowed to continue, only death will prosper. They must go to war against the girl prince.
But Mehmed knows that he loves her. He understands her. She must lose to him so he can keep her safe. Radu alone fears that they are underestimating his sister's indomitable will. Only by destroying everything that came before--including her relationships--can Lada truly build the country she wants.
Claim the throne. Demand the crown. Rule the world. An epic ending to an amazing series.
Great storytelling, as always, this one focusing mostly on Radu and his journey to redemption and forgiveness-and it was beautiful.And if I can say that for a book that has so many bloody deaths, imagine how good the book is! Lada is the epitome of anti-heroine-she never lets up, she wants you to hate her. But somehow you just feel for her, you don't want anything bad happening to her, even though you know that if she was eliminated, it would end so much suffering. You are like Radu in a way: you know she has done some unforgivable, atrocious things (and she knows it, too) but you can't just find it in your heart to hate her. Loved how the resolution of such a bloodthirsty and horrifying war was so serene and peaceful in the end. I guess what Lada needed was her brother by her side all along, loving her and supporting her. Maybe if she had him by her side from the beginning, so many lives would be saved. But what would happen to Radu? He would never have touched so many lives, and let his be touched, if he had stayed with Lada.
Do yourselves a favour and read this amazing series-White truly outdid herself.
Note: I know it's advertised as YA but for me it tackles matters for more mature readers.
Publication date: January 17 2017 Published by:Delacorte Press Genre: Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fae, Mystery, Suspense Rating:
As Mac, Barrons, Ryodan, and Jada struggle to restore control, enemies become allies, right and wrong cease to exist, and the lines between life and death, lust and love, disappear completely.
Black holes loom menacingly over Dublin, threatening to destroy the Earth. Yet the greatest danger is the one MacKayla Lane has unleashed from within: the Sinsar Dubh—a sentient book of unthinkable evil—has possessed her body and will stop at nothing in its insatiable quest for power.
The fate of Man and Fae rests on destroying the book and recovering the long-lost Song of Making, the sole magic that can repair the fragile fabric of the Earth. But to achieve these aims, sidhe-seers, the Nine, Seelie, and Unseelie must form unlikely alliances and make heart-wrenching choices. For Barrons and Jada, this means finding the Seelie Queen who alone can wield the mysterious song, negotiating with a lethal Unseelie prince hell-bent on ruling the Fae courts, and figuring out how to destroy the Sinsar Dubh while keeping Mac alive.
This time, there’s no gain without sacrifice, no pursuit without risk, no victory without irrevocable loss. In the battle for Mac’s soul, every decision exacts a tremendous price.
Fire to his ice.
Frost to my flame.
Forever.
Last night I said a heartfelt farewell to one of my favourite series of all time. All grievances and objections I had for this book went out the window as I was reading through the last pages. Even though I didn't quiet connect with the last 3 books as I did with the first 5, I was still very deeply saddened by the ending. I want to thank my friends Anna and Monika for the endless converstations we had about these books, and the infinite times we sighed at the mere mention of Barrons ("Kneel, Ms Lane"). Thanks, girls!
For all that, for all the emotions it stirred in me, for everything it taught me, for all the sleepless nights, for all the good and bad times, I will always love the Fever series. Goodbye. It's been one hell of a ride.
Publication date: March 06 2018 Published by:Delacorte Press Genre: Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fae, Mystery, Suspense Rating:
There is no power without price…
When the Faerie Queen used the dangerously powerful Song of Making to heal the world from the damage done by the Hoar Frost King, catastrophic magic seeped deep into the earth, giving rise to horrifying, unforeseen consequences–and now deadly enemies plot in the darkness, preparing to enslave the human race and unleash an ancient reign of hell on Earth.
There is no future without sacrifice…
With the lethal, immortal Ryodan at her side, armed with the epic Sword of Light, Dani once again battles to save the world but her past comes back to haunt her with a vengeance, demanding an unspeakable price for the power she needs to save the human race and no one—not even Ryodan who’d move the very stars for her—can save her this time…
How can KMM transform Dani from an obnoxious and annoying brat, to this amazing character with the strongest and most painful background story, then create her alter ego-equally amazing, if not more-then rise her again from the ashes painstakingly slow, only to give her such an abysmal and completely unsatisfying ending, I will never understand.
The only good thing about this book was Dancer's letter, because let's face it, Dancer was great in everything he did, and quite frankly after reading High Voltage, I think he deserved better than Dani. Such a disappointment.
That being said, I'm very curious to see what her next "Fever" book will be about. Mac's fight with the Fae perhaps? But I thought Mac's story was over...? Hm.
Publication date: January 19 2016 Published by:Delacorte Press Genre: Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fae, Mystery, Suspense Rating:
When the immortal race of the Fae destroyed the ancient wall dividing the worlds of Man and Faery, the very fabric of the universe was damaged and now Earth is vanishing bit by bit. Only the long-lost Song of Making—a haunting, dangerous melody that is the source of all life itself—can save the planet.
But those who seek the mythic Song—Mac, Barrons, Ryodan and Jada—must contend with old wounds and new enemies, passions that burn hot and hunger for vengeance that runs deep. The challenges are many: The Keltar at war with nine immortals who’ve secretly ruled Dublin for eons, Mac and Jada hunted by the masses, the Seelie queen nowhere to be found, and the most powerful Unseelie prince in all creation determined to rule both Fae and Man. Now the task of solving the ancient riddle of the Song of Making falls to a band of deadly warriors divided among—and within—themselves.
What was a pretty unremarkable book, the last 50 pages or so more than made up for it. They reminded me of the good all Fever days, the staying awake all night reading kind of days, and it felt good. After what seems like a very long time, I caught a glimpse of what the Fever books after Shadowfever could be like, and I really really hope Feversong won't disappoint me-especially after that ending 😱
Rest of the book was pretty much the same as Burned. I realised that Moning has set aside the plot and character development part (except for Jada, who is still the coolest of them all), and has replaced it with creepy and awkward eroticism, something I didn't even think it was possible in Feveverse. But when she does get into the plot and characters, more seldom than not unfortunately, she is one of a kind!
One more thing: does anyone else find Lor completely repulsive, or is it just me? His way of thinking is disturbing and disgusting and it's not even funny anymore.
Publication date: March 17 2014 Published by:Dreamspinner Press Genre: MM, Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Crime Rating:
Home from their unexpected deployment, the former members of Marine Force Recon team Sidewinder rejoin their loved ones and try to pick up the pieces of the lives they were forced to leave behind. Ty Grady comes home to Zane Garrett, only to find that everything around him has changed—even the men he went to war with. He barely has time to adjust before his brother, Deuce, asks Ty to be his best man. But that isn’t all Deuce asks Ty to do, and Ty must call for backup to deal with the business issues of Deuce’s future father-in-law.
Nick O’Flaherty and Kelly Abbott join Ty and Zane at the wedding on an island in Scotland, thinking they’re there to assuage Deuce’s paranoia. But when bodies start dropping and boats start sinking, the four men get more involved with the festivities than they’d ever planned to.
With the clock ticking and the killer just as stuck on the isolated island as they are, Ty and Zane must navigate a veritable minefield of family, friends, and foes to stop the whole island from being destroyed.
2nd read (Nov 2 2018) Ha! Who was I kidding? Of course I would re read Ball&Chain! It's a Ty&Zane book, I mean come on.
I admit, it was slightly better than I remembered. Although that probably had something to do with the fact that my opinion of it could not get any lower :/ Like I said, Zane seeing Ty for the first time after coming back from his deployment is pure perfection. In some weird way it reminded me of the first time Alexander saw Tatiana at a bus stop in Bronze Horseman. Nothing can compare to that of course, but both scenes stirred the same emotions in me. Different intensity, but still.
Nick continues to remain awesome and cool, having the best story line, the best character development, the best lines. He even beat Ty in greatness, which is an impossible feat! For me, Ty and Nick's friendship falling apart, as interesting as it was, came out of blue. I didn't really know what brought on such huge and emotional fights between them, until they explained it in the end and it still kinda didn't make any sense. I really liked their heartfelt scenes, but what was the point of them exactly? To drive a wedge between Ty and Nick so Nick seems closer to Kelly? To make Ty drop out of Nick's life eventually so Roux doesn't have to write Ty in Nick's books? To avoid writing Ty and Zane scenes? Latter seems most possible, as Zane was a secondary character in his own book in B&C. Didn't participate in any action, always hanging back with Kelly, he even let his unbelievably claustrophobic boyfriend to traverse through an underground maze alone. Really?? I didn't really like their sex scenes either, they were just there to fill the pages. Also as I mentioned before, what was with all the laughing and snorting and chuckling and smirking, even in situations that was just weird and creepy to do so?
B&C is 100% a Sidewinder book, Nick O'Flaherty galore. With a little bit of Grady on the side. If you are a fan of Nick, you are not going to completely hate it. If you're on the fence about him, don't even bother.
1st read (Jul 3 2018) I'm so disappointed, I think I'm gonna cry :( Expected a whole lot more, being so close to the end. I can't decide if this book is a C&R book or a Sidewinder book. I think it's neither. It doesn't do Nick and Kelly justice, it definitely doesn't do Ty and Zane justice. For sure the less romantic/sexy book out of the bunch, even with all the
marriage proposals
The plot was almost laughable, characters went unutilized (we barely saw enough of Deuce, even though it was his wedding) and there was so much going on, and none of it made any sense. The writing brought back some not so great memories from book 1, it was very erratic and I'm pretty sure unedited. With the exception of the first 50 pages or so (I will never forget the moment Zane sees Ty at the bus depot <3 and="" at="" average="" awesome="" best="" completely="" is="" nbsp="" nick="" pretty="" relationship="" rest="" s="" span="" the="" ty="" unmemorable.="" was="" which="" with=""> I mean, Zane was MIA for almost the whole book! He was just there so other people could go and dumb all their emotional baggage on, and him going "Yes, hm, yes" or laughing. The guys laughed A LOT on this one, even when shit was getting serious-what's up with that? Anyway, so when did Zane become everyone's "go-to" person for advice and personal stuff? And coming after book 7 especially, when he comes completely unhinged! Granted, some time passes between books 7 and 8, but we haven't been shown how he grew/changed AT ALL. We are just supposed to imagine it I guess, and that's that. That's ridiculous imo, and Zane just wasn't Zane in this one at all. He didn't even get involved in the action, he always stayed back with Kelly and let the others fight and be heroes. I mean, really?? It will probably be the only book in the series I am not planning on re-reading *gasp*
Justin White may not look like an up and coming corporate superstar, but his new boss knows he has the smarts, grit, and determination to succeed. Now he just has to convince his company’s CFO, Eli Ovadia. Unfortunately, Justin can’t seem to keep his cool around the domineering Eli—and soon he finds himself taking their heat from the boardroom into the bedroom….
