Stronger (Breaking Free #3.5) by A.M. Arthur

Here's the blurb!

Learning to trust can bring a lifetime of joy. 

As happily-married beta couple Serge and Dex Freel await the birth of their first child, Serge can’t help but think back to the rocky start of his and Dex’s relationship. After a party introduction from a mutual friend, a tentative friendship blooms into something much stronger. Marred by misunderstandings, personal prejudices, and Serge’s own inability to trust, they nearly go their separate ways more than once—and almost lose their chance at the beautiful life they’ll build together. 

But Dex’s alpha-like stubbornness and Serge’s desperate need to care for others brings them back together over and over, until both men realize they’re truly stronger together than apart. But their happily-ever-after is hard-won and other friendships are tested, before Serge finally takes a chance on giving his heart to Dex and trusting the other man not to break it into unfixable pieces—and trust is not something Serge gives easily. 

Serge and Dex are characters we see through the Breaking Free series often enough, and it makes me happy to have a bit more backstory to them, and to finally know Serge's backstory and how he fell for Dex.

This short novella is a roller coaster of feels that ends leaving such a warm, cozy feeling that I can assure will make you glad you got it

Heard (Breaking Free #3) by A.M. Arthur

Here's the blurb!

An omega who can’t speak meets an alpha who won’t listen….

Karter Jenks is a first-year constable who’s still trying to prove himself to his superiors, so he isn’t looking for a mate right now. Soon, sure, but he also knows he has work to do to change his alphahole tendencies around omega rights. The Kell Iverson trial opened his eyes to how cruelly some omegas are treated, and Karter doesn’t want to follow in his authoritarian father’s footsteps when he finds his mate. And he absolutely does not expect a homeless omega vagrant and burglary suspect to be his bondmate.

Jax Orris escaped a life of captivity and pain to save himself and his infant son. Living as vagrants isn’t ideal, but it’s better than trusting the authorities who landed Jax in hell to begin with. When their hiding place is discovered, Jax is shocked to feel the mating bond with the young alpha who’s been tracking him—and even more shocked when the constable doesn’t immediately arrest him for his crimes. It helps him trust Karter enough to accept his help in keeping himself and his son safe from the men Jax escaped.

Jax’s story horrifies Karter, and he vows to protect his omega from further harm—but first he has to get his stubborn, angry omega to trust him. Trust is no longer in Jax’s nature, but he can’t deny his connection to the young alpha eager to please him. Jax never thought he’d want another alpha to touch him, much less mate with him, but Karter’s gentle patience breaks down the walls Jax erected around his heart after the death of his first mate. As Jax’s next heat approaches, the investigation into his captivity uncovers surprising connections to several previous cases, and the danger to everyone involved increases. Can he trust Karter to protect him, or will Jax’s past destroy their chance for a happily ever after?

When we first met Karter, I felt like he was such an "alphahole" he wouldn't be seen much of, so I was quite surprised to find him as one of the main characters of book three of the series! His co-protagonist is Jax, a very muscle-y cinnamon roll with lots of baggage, a months old baby and with the added extra of being mute. I loved how things worked out for them.

This is the sweetest book in the series by far, but please don't make me pick a favorite.

Seen (Breaking Free #2) by A.M. Arthur

Here's the blurb!

Hell is a six-by-six jail cell and no hope for the future. 

Kell Iverson has never raised his hand against another person in his entire life—and yet somehow he’s been arrested and charged with the murder of his alpha mate Krause. Sure, Krause brutalized him on a daily basis, and Kell hated his mate, but he never wanted the man dead. Not fighting the charge and accepting his fate is the easiest path—except Kell doesn’t think he’ll survive a week in prison, and he doesn’t want to disappoint his younger brother Braun by giving up. He also doesn’t expect to recognize the lawyer who shows up to defend him. 

Ronin Cross was barely eighteen when he felt the mating bond with then-fourteen-year-old Kell, but his family moved away before Ronin could decide what to do. For the last ten years, he hasn’t forgotten teenage Kell, hasn’t mated, and now he’s in Sansbury Province to defend adult Kell from a capital murder charge. The mating bond is still there, but now isn’t the time to pursue anything with his fragile, battered, emotionally-damaged client. 

For Kell, the term “kind alpha” is a contradiction, because he’s never known one. He went from abusive father to abusive mate, and for twenty-four years, he’s simply done what he’s told. But Ronin asks Kell what he wants. What he likes. Ronin sees him, and it’s both confusing and delightful. But Kell is facing prison time at best, execution at worst, and as his trial date looms, he can’t indulge in a fantasy that will never come true…or can he?

The flow between Saved and this book was so flawless, I'm glad I read them back on back, because if I had had to wait fot the release I would have gone mad. This book was so exciting, I couldn't bear to put it down!
Kell had lived such a hellish life, it felt wonderful to see how things would en up for him with Ronin, what had happened to Branson, and a glimpse of what happened to Tarek and Braun after Saved finished.

I would gush further, but I'm not sure if I could keep on going wihout spoiling anything. I will say, though, that the trial was really exciting.

Saved (Breaking Free #1) by A.M. Arthur

Here's the blurb!

He didn’t want an alpha to save him, but fate had other ideas… 

Braun Etting was raised to know his place as an omega by his alpha father’s cruel words and fast fists, and he expects nothing but violence from the alpha who may one day mate him. His older brother Kell mated a cruel alpha who abuses him daily, and Braun is terrified of that seemingly inevitable future. When Braun’s father dies in a car crash, leaving Braun an orphan, he’s sent to a halfway house for omegas. But on his fourth night there, he witnesses a horrifying crime that sends him fleeing to the streets alone—and edging into his first heat. 

Tarek Bloom is settled in his workaholic, single lifestyle, even if it is somewhat embarrassing to be a twenty-eight year-old unmated alpha. He enjoys his job as a constable, helping people and solving problems, so he isn’t prepared for his life to flip upside-down when he walks into his beta friend Dex’s apartment to help with “a problem.” 

The problem turns out to be an unmated, nearly in-heat omega orphan who Dex and his husband rescued off the street last night. The even bigger problem is that Tarek feels the mating bond for this terrified omega immediately—and he’s pretty sure the omega feels it, too. But Braun hates alphas as a general rule, and no way is he giving in to the bond. All mating leads to is violence and suffering, so no thank you. But Tarek’s gentle kindness slips under Braun’s emotional shields, and Braun begins to want. To dream. All Braun has ever known is violent alphas, but Tarek is determined to make Braun trust him—and to trust in the idea of their happily ever after. 

I had never read an omegaverse book before this, but for some reason the blurb got me and I decided to take the plunge. I'm so glad I did. It takes a bit to get used to the idea of the alpha/omega/beta dynamics, but the plot was really engaging and I couldn't put it down. Plus, I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort, and this series has it to spare. 
And the characters are so well thought of! I immediately felt a connection with Braun, and all his actions in regard to the situations he is in make so much sense! 

I need the second book for yesterday, and will not be at peace until I finish it!

Love on a Battlefield by Posy Roberts

Here's the blurb!

Not every compass points north.

Andrew Summers is forced to spend his vacations reliving Civil War battles with his father. He hates every minute, until a blue-eyed, red-haired boy behind enemy lines catches his eye.

Shep Wells would much rather travel the world than play at boring war reenactments. He never dreamed a Texan boy would capture his heart.

Real life and years separate them; Andrew is forced onto real battlefields, but for Shep the world is a playground. They’re opposites, but writing letters closes the distance, uncovering their hopes and dreams. When Shep visits Andrew, they get to see if the tug they’ve felt for years is the compass pointing the way home.

This is the first book by Posy Roberts I've read, and it left me wanting a bit more by her, to be honest.
This book is so sweet it most likely gave me cavities. Shep and Andrew go through a lot before being able to be together, and the hardships are so realistic that they hurt, but that makes their joy more sweeter. The story flows smoothly, no bumps or slow patches. It had such lovely flow I was a bit surprised when I noticed it was over. I finished it so fast!

A very addictive read, and a wonderful introduction to Posy as an author.
Disclaimer: I recieved this book as an ARC, but all opinions are my own. 

Kidnapped by the Pirate by Keira Andrews

Here's the summary from Goodreads

Nathaniel Bainbridge is used to hiding, whether it’s concealing his struggles with reading or his forbidden desire for men. Under the thumb of his controlling father, the governor of Primrose Isle, he’s sailing to the fledging colony, where he’ll surrender to a respectable marriage for his family’s financial gain. Then pirates strike and he’s kidnapped for ransom by the Sea Hawk, a legendary villain of the New World.

Bitter and jaded, Hawk harbors futile dreams of leaving the sea for a quiet life, but men like him don’t deserve peace. He has a score to settle with Nathaniel’s father—the very man whose treachery forced him into piracy—and he’s sure Nathaniel is just as contemptible.

Yet as days pass in close quarters, Nathaniel’s feisty spirit and alluring innocence beguile and bewitch. Although Hawk knows he must keep his distance, the desire to teach Nathaniel the pleasure men can share grows uncontrollable. It’s not as though Hawk would ever feel anything for him besides lust…

Nathaniel realizes the fearsome Sea Hawk’s reputation is largely invented, and he sees the lonely man beneath the myth, willingly surrendering to his captor body and soul. As a pirate’s prisoner, he is finally free to be his true self. The crew has been promised the ransom Nathaniel will bring, yet as danger mounts and the time nears to give him up, Hawk’s biggest battle could be with his own heart.

I won this book in a contest, and I'm so happy about that. A fighter for the title of  "favorite queer pirate romance", this book has two very complex characters who meet for revenge and whose love is doomed because of fate and family... or is it? The fight for love between Nathaniel and Hawk is fierce, both against themselves and against the world. It was a bit too steamy for my liking at times, but the plot was too exciting to put it down for long. 

Definitely a worthy read. I thank my luck for working in my favor for once, as contests haven't worked out well for me during my life. 

Regifted: Three holiday romances by D.J. Jamison

here's the blurb from Goodreads

This box set includes three previously published holiday romances by DJ Jamison: Winter Blom, Chance for Christmas, and Yours For The Holiday. 

Winter Blom: Lane Cross works construction to pay the bills, and makes metal art to … also pay the bills. As a single dad, the enjoyment of his art has taken a backseat to making ends meet. And his love life has taken a back seat to caring for his son, especially when Zach, age 6, sabotages every babysitting attempt Lane makes. Then Lane meets news intern Andy Blom. The man’s Swedish name meaning bloom is perfect for him: Andy is refreshingly sweet and vibrant. But when Lane moves too fast, will he scare away the surprisingly innocent young man – or will Andy’s journalistic ethics end them before they ever begin? 

Chance for Christmas: Chance Rasmussen returns to Ashe, Kansas, eight years after his high school crush humiliated him with a sext that went viral. He's low on holiday spirit with his personal ghost of Christmas past haunting him, but when his BFF asks him to attend a party as her fake date, he reluctantly agrees. The last person he expects to see there is Joe Stewart, the compassionate prosecutor he hero-worshipped during the lowest point of his life. The spark of attraction is still there, but Chance isn't planning to stay in Ashe past the holidays and the specter of his past still looms large between them. Can they find a way to build a future together or will Joe only have Chance for Christmas? 

Yours For The Holiday: Remy Wells is in no mood to share a room with his brother's best friend during a holiday stay. Jason Hendricks has always treated him like a little brother to tease and taunt, all the more embarrassing because Remy has secretly crushed on the jerk since puberty. But when Jason confides he's bisexual, Remy realizes the crush he loves to hate could be the perfect rebound. 

Two of the books in this set are from the Ashe Sentinel Connections universe, but each romance introduces new characters and can be read on its own. 


Definitely worth it.
Winter Blom: the story of Andy, a young adult in his first (unpaid) internship falling for a widowed man with a son. A bit fast for me in the falling for each other part, but overall really cute.
Chance for Christmas: super adorable. I loved the way Chance's trauma was dealt with, and Joe's character is really nice, and quite different than what I'm used to see by DJ Jamison. Really liked it.
Yours for the Holiday: my absolute favorite of the three. The way Remy and Jason slowly learn to trust each other in a way that goes beyond the relationship of frenimity they'd kept so far is so sweet, and the general hardships they go through are so relatable it makes the story all the more endearing. Totally loved it 

I totally recommend this set. If you don't feel like getting all the books, then at the very least get Yours for the Holiday. 
Note: I have read all the previous Ashe Sentinel books, but both Chance for Christmas and Winter Blom can be easily read as standalones, and are easy to understand as such. 

The Lion and the Crow by Eli Easton

Here's the summary from Goodreads

In medieval England, duty is everything, personal honor is more valued than life itself, and homosexuality is not tolerated by the church or society. 

Sir Christian Brandon was raised in a household where he was hated for his unusual beauty and for his parentage. Being smaller than his six brutish half-brothers, he learned to survive by using his wits and his gift for strategy, earning him the nickname the Crow. 

Sir William Corbett, a large and fierce warrior known as the Lion, has pushed his unnatural desires down all his life. He’s determined to live up to his own ideal of a gallant knight. When he takes up a quest to rescue his sister from her abusive lord of a husband, he’s forced to enlist the help of Sir Christian. It’s a partnership that will test every strand of his moral fiber, and, eventually, his understanding of the meaning of duty, honor, and love.

This book makes me so happy, because not only does it have a cute romance story, but said story is historically accurate, really exciting, and very emotional. I have read it twice now, and I can't discount the possibility of another reread!

Definitely worth the time. Then again, it's by Eli Easton, so of course I love it. The lowest I've ever given her books are four stars, after all ;)

All my broken pieces by Hollis Shiloh

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Tim is a small wolf shifter, partially disabled, not good at confrontation, and very alone. Life isn't easy at a precinct where he's never been fully accepted. He spends far too much of his time trying not to overhear coworkers mocking him. His best friend (okay, pretty much his only friend) is a drug-addicted fox shifter. 

And Tim certainly knows better than to fall in love; that didn't work out so hot before. These days, he sticks to anonymous encounters. He doesn't believe in mates or true love, not for someone like him. 

But he's worked for the cops almost a decade now, and really, there's no reason at all why he should have to go through a stupid certification course. They didn't even have those when he started! 

Life takes an unexpected twist when one of his anonymous encounters turns out to be attending the same certification course. Levi is a big, sweet guy he'd never expected to see again. 

Tim doesn't want to let Levi see the flaws and cracks that anything more than a quick hookup would reveal. He certainly doesn't plan to spend any more time with the guy, much less get feelings for him... 

I swore I had reviewed this book a while ago, but it seems like I forgot....oops

Levi and Tim, such a cute couple. Tim is insecure, having a crooked back, chronic pain and having been shunned by his pack both because of his back and because of being gay. Having to do the certification course is the cherry on top of his problems, as he really doesn't want to deal with having a partner, a must of the program. Levi (the dream guy) pretty much comes as part of a package to make Tim's life better, if he allows himself to hope for that of course.
The plot is both exciting and cute at the same time. Definitely better than My Partner the Wolf (in my opinion), and making me rethink my stance about not reading that many books.

This book is a roller coaster of feelings from start to finish, and totally worth the time.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book.

The Body in the Backyard by Hollis Shiloh

Here's the summary from Goodreads

Clarence Collin is pushing up daisies—in Abe's bed of zinnias! 

When the caustic critic of a TV gardening show winds up murdered in Abe's well-groomed backyard, both Abe and his hunky-but-irritating neighbor Gregory might be on the suspect list. 

Abe starts amateur sleuthing in self-defense...and to spend time with Gregory. When the two green thumbs look into their neighborhood's dirty little secrets, who knows what they'll dig up? 

An interesting change from the author, it is quite enjoyable. Abe isn't the regular criminal hero, being not young (I'm guessing in his 40's, but the author never says), very nervous, not always logical and cool and not very brave. That makes him more likeable, in my opinion. His ex cheated on him, and they got divorced, which also means his self esteem isn't much (which is one of the things I like so much about Hollis's books, that not all of the characters are confident badasses).  His detective partner, Gregory, is also a very human character, with flaws, strong points, obsessions.... I like him. 
The mystery itself is not evident, and you get to suspect everyone before you get to the criminal. Well written, quite enjoyable, and it leaves you guessing everytime you let the book go. 

If Hollis Shiloh ever decides to write mystery again, count me in!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review

Tender with a Twist by Annabeth Albert

Here's the summary from Goodreads

One kinky wood carver. One younger chef looking to try new things. A series of lessons that bring both men more than they bargained for…

Curtis Hunt has made a name for himself as a chainsaw wood carver, winning national competitions and operating a small business in Rainbow Cove, Oregon. As winter whittles away his tourist traffic, his goal is just to survive the season and try to not get lost in grief for his dead lover. It’s been two years, but he’s sure he’ll never be over the love of a lifetime. However, his body has a certain restlessness that he doesn’t quite know how to calm.

Logan Rosner knows a thing or two about restlessness. It’s what drove him to Rainbow Cove to be a chef at a bar and grill run by his friends. And it’s what drives him to a single sizzling encounter with the local legendary lumberjack. Both men get far more than they expected and learn that first impressions aren’t always accurate…

But when Logan proposes a series of sexy lessons, Curtis must decide how much he’s willing to risk. He knows he can’t afford to get attached to Logan’s good cooking, his easy smiles, or his caretaking, but he keeps going back for more, even as deeper emotions become involved. Soon, Curtis must decide whether to risk his heart again or risk losing Logan for good.

This book was way cuter than expected. When I saw that the book included bdsm, I wasn't that sold on it. Up until now all of the books I've read that include the kink are more in a "too much kink and not enough plot " category, but this book was definitely not the case.

Logan and Curtis have a very cute story, and the main focus of it is their romance and personal development and not the kinky sex they both enjoy, which makes this a total winner in my books.

Disclaimer: I recieved a free copy of this book

My Partner the Wolf by Hollis Shiloh

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Tom Langley and Sean Goods work together in a human-and-wolf shifter partnership, assisting the police, rushing in to solve crimes wherever their bosses send them. They're a great team, and they have fun together, too: joking and enjoying each other's company in a way that doesn't happen every day.

Tom is also a married man. And his husband hates the wolf shifter with a passion. Tom tries to balance the sides of his life—one minute on a high-pressure chase with Sean, the next placating his husband Lowell.

Then the unthinkable happens: his marriage ends. Heartbroken, he's not expecting to ever get over Lowell's betrayal or to be able to love again.

Sean offers a solution: sex as friends. They have chemistry, and they trust each other.

But can they change their partnership that much? And is Sean secretly harboring feelings for him—expecting more than just sex?

Sean is a loveable, funny, strong, and protective. He's the best buddy a guy could have. But Tom might not be able to keep from breaking his heart—if Sean is in love with him, and Tom can't love him back.

This book is definitely emotionally heavy, but entertaining all the same. Tom finds it VERY hard to deal with the fact that his marriage is over, and that makes him hesitate a lot over pretty much everything. Sean, however, is pretty much the dream  partner anyone would want. Cute, hot, attentive, he kind of is everything Tom needs and wants, even though he doesn't know it. It is very obvious to everyone but him. 

The book is good, but the fact that Tom takes over two thirds of the book and half a year or more without being able to pick up his slack makes it a bit tiring.  It is part of a VERY long series, and I'm not so sure that I want to invest myself on it. If there's standalones, then I might think about it, as I really liked how Hollis Shiloh writes. But 13 books is a lot, and my to-read pile (both the physical and the digital one) is big enough as it is. 

Man & Beast (The Savage Land, #1) by Michael Jensen

For this book, there's no summary on Goodreads and the one in Michael Jensen's web page is kind of spoiler-filled, so I'll try to write my own!

It all starts in the year 1797, when gay man John Chapman has to flee from Canada after he's discovered as a gay man. His hopes in life is a paper where they claim free land and supplies for a settlement in the unconquered frontier. Midwinter, lost cold and half starved, he stumbles into the cabin of a man called Daniel, whom John believes can be love and hope he was searching for. But is he the man he hoped, or a beast to be feared?

This book is quite interesting, as it throws a queer man in a time in which being queer was punished by death (as it is shown in chapter 1). And, even if he doesn't want to, he's forced to confront his views on his sexuality and the realities he lives in. The book is a bit slow, but interesting nonetheless. You also get  to see a curious variety of characters with plenty of layers to keep you entertained, main character included.

I actually read the summary in Michael's page, so I kind of spoiled myself about half the book, so there were things that I'd have found more exciting if I hadn't read it beforehand, and that affects my overall score for the book. For some reason I spent about half the book believing there was going to be some supernatural element to the book, but that was me being misguided by the summary of this book and the sequel, which I haven't read yet. It is historical and realistic, without any added element of magic. Meaning, the beast of a title is a real one.

It was good, a bit slow (which isn't bad), with good character development and a good plot, but I lost a lot of excitement by knowing what was going to happen. If you want to read it, Michael Jensen sends this book to you by subscribing to his newsletter (that's how I got mine). Just be wary of the summary in the page!

Swimming the Distance by Annabeth Albert

This is a really cute short story, which Goodreads says is originally part of an anthology. I got the story by itself as a freebie, so I can't say anything of the anthology itself. So, here's a summary by me!

Bodhan is a swimmer, gay and in the closet. After two years in a relationship with his boyfriend Kyle, it gets harder to keep it a secret, more so counting the amount of press caused by his success. Things between the couple get tense at the eve of the 2012 Olympics, when Bodhan tells in an interview that he's straight. Will they manage to patch things up and win the medal?

Ok, I suck at summaries, but it could've been worse. All in all, I like this story better than most short romance stories, as it doesn't try to make two characters fall in love in a ridiculously short amount of time. Instead, here's the problems of an already established couple, who've been together for years but still have problems (like real couples!).

Also I like how they portray an established relationship, like knowing what makes the other nervous and what makes the other happy. I really like that. They know each other, care about each other, and are a general good couple. That makes it even more angst-y when things start to fail and they're not happy with each other, as you (as the reader) really want to make things work out because they obviously care about each other!

This story is really cute, and quite a relaxing and satisfying read. I recommend it.