Darkest Hour Before Dawn: THIRDS Book 9, Charlie Cochet

Seb and Hudson have been dancing around one another for years.  It's no surprise that the drama between and around them is pretty huge as it's part of all the THIRDS crazy, but it's the personal touches and juicy history that makes this story unique.  It was so much more than a case of disappointed hopes, things not working out, or the pitfalls of interoffice dating; Hudson's unbearable grief, Seb's crushing guilt, and a whole slew of villains conspire to keep them apart.

Dex won't take that lying down however, and orchestrates a few "collisions" between them that both help and hurt their second chance.  I didn't mind his meddling at all because he's right.  I also love his blunt acknowledgment of the goods and bads of both Seb's and Hudson's behavior.  For Dex to call a spade a spade in and amongst his silly maneuverings brings attention to the gravity of what's going on.

It's Hudson that really has the most growing to do, I feel.  Yes, Seb has his own part to answer for, but he's also much more grounded in who and what he wants and does his best to respect Hudson's misguided and childish requests.  Hudson bothered me at so many moments because of his immaturity, his selfishness, his "woe is me" attitude, and his general dismissiveness of Seb and his heart.  The tragedy that tore them apart honestly had less to do with their separation than Hudson's continual rejection and that bothered me quite a lot.  Combining that with his treatment of Nina and I was less-than thrilled with the man that I'd previously come to love.

Their reconciliation was good, though I think it really could have been stronger.  The drama surrounding a reprehensible interloper seemed out of proportion to the dangers that could have been the catalyst to bringing Seb and Hudson back together.  It would have been better to focus on the group that wants Hudson rather than the individual that has nefarious designs his backside.  In addition to all that crazy, there's a rather obvious yet surprising reveal that flummoxes everyone and bears incredible implications for so many things going forward.

Shock, steam, sweet feels, and a whole lot of butt-kicking carry this part of the series and paves the way for a whole lot more of all that as we approach the series conclusion.

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THIRDS Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs and Chief Medical Examiner Hudson Colbourn are as much in love now as they were nearly seven years ago when a tragic event on the job destroyed their relationship. The two drift together only to be pulled apart time and time again. When Hudson draws the interest of dangerous enemies, both within and outside the organization, Seb wants nothing more than to protect the man who still means everything to him.

As life-and-death events, an uncertain future, and startling truths draw Hudson and Seb to each other yet again, they must make a choice: trust their love and take strength from what they share, or lose what matters most… for good this time.

Fight for This: For This Book 1, Suki Fleet

Wow.  There are so many things going on in this story that I don't exactly know where to begin.  Two men really want each other's love but can't seem to feel deserving enough to be honest about their feelings and desires.  If they can figure out how to get what they truly want, and manage to save the school and country at the same time, they'll have their forever made.  But nothing ever comes that easily when power and arrogance stand in the way.

I can definitely get behind the premise of their supernatural identities being reasons as to their supposed undeserving-ness, mostly because we all know they're going to be perfect for one another once they lay it all out there, but what got a bit too much for me were the number of uncorrrected misunderstandings until it was almost too much for them to move beyond.  There was a bit lacking when it came to something concrete to bind them together because even when they begin to make progress, the roadblocks kept them from moving forward and also distracted them from completing what their souls most craved.

There were quite a few interesting characters introduced and while a couple of them played a major role near the end, they were minor up to that point and when they came on page with a big ol' bang it pulled focus and distracted from the MC's getting done what needed to get done.  It was all a bit too chaotic for me at this point to really follow along clearly.  The chaos began before that point actually, and I kept wondering why we were going along with one thing only to jump to doing something else...there wasn't much of a linear or logical flow when the crazy started.  I think my issue there was that it wasn't just plot craziness, it was a lack of flow and crazy for crazy's sake and it wasn't effective to telling the story or getting us to the romantic conclusion either.

Overall I felt like I was missing something so much of the time that I had a difficult time following the story and relationship.  There was so much potential here and while it wasn't always clear, I was still drawn to what will happen next and how we'll get the next couple's journey.

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Grey and Si have been dancing around one another for months.

Grey’s helpless attraction to fairies (and one fairy in particular) is a source of endless frustration—but as his energy can damage a fairy’s glamour, he can’t let himself get close.

Si is different to other fairies and he’s wearing down Grey’s defences. When Si discovers the Veil is thinning around the school where they both work—putting the students and teachers there at risk from detection—he needs Grey’s help to fix it.

Problem is, Si isn’t a true fairy, he’s just a magical mistake. For as long as he can remember all his glamour has done is messed up and broken stuff. Though Grey may be older and wiser about a lot of things in the human world, he’s pretty clueless about all things magical. He doesn’t even know the Veil exists until Si knocks himself unconscious trying to save Grey’s reputation after a night out.

But it’s funny how mistakes work out. Even funnier how trusting one another can help even the most impossible events turn out all right.

ARC opportunity provided by Gay Book Promotions

Trusting Fate: A Collection of Strays Book 4, Toby Wise

We finally get to Cameron's story.  Present Cameron is meeting Future Cameron head on and with a mate complication he never truly expected.  He'll need two alphas to ground him, but only if he allows himself to need them.  Both Jace and River have a hurdle to get over and what they couldn't have anticipated would be that the hurdle is actually their third himself.

I wish there were more of each of the men, especially River.  I felt that aside from Cameron's need to grow, to soften, and to accept himself for all that he is, River was the one who was the biggest mystery.  His trauma was sufficiently big and not enough attention was given to it, I felt, and his evolution where he finds peace isn't really shown aside from an incredibly sweet scene where he and Cam cuddle in a cupboard.

And what Cameron is...that's pretty intriguing all on its own.  I definitely wanted more of what he is, what they do, why they are, and the implications for his purpose.  Grounding him with two mates was definitely necessary and I loved how that was shown, I just wanted more.

Seeing Cam's soft side and how he truly connected all three of them together was absolutely wonderful.  I think the story really would have benefitted from being longer.  It's always tricky with a triad because there's a whole other perspective that needs as much page time as the others for the audience to really connect with and to understand them.  I liked them all, but only felt truly connected to Cam because he was a presence in all the other stories.  All three men needed more page time because I wasn't really ready to let them go by the end.

*$2.99 on Amazon

This wasn’t supposed to be in the cards for me, yet here I am, with not one but two mates. Lady Fate has a sick sense of humor that apparently rivals my own. Looks like it’s Present Cameron’s problem now. ~ Cameron

My near constant state of mind is worry. Can you blame me when I have two beautiful and amazing mates in my life? They’re quick to reassure me and with their help, just maybe I can learn to trust that Lady Fate knew what she was doing bringing us together. ~ River

I never imagined anything being as special as meeting River, until I met Cameron. River is my gentle giant, Cameron a sassy menace, and my heart is instantly charmed. They complete me while encouraging me to be the best version of myself. It’s easy to see why Lady Fate pushed us together. ~ Jace

T.A.G. You're Seen: The Assassins' Guild Book 1, A.G. Carothers

Well.  Yeah.  That happened.  So I read the warnings and if you're apprehensive about any of them, proceed elsewhere because they're incredibly accurate.  While not all of them are to my tastes, it's clear that these men crave them all.  Yoshi and Jacob are in a tenuous situation because even though Yoshi is drawn to the other man, he's also supposed to kill him.  There's something not quite right about the whole thing, so with the prep work and observation under way, Yoshi is determined to get to the bottom of everything.  This story is not for the faint of heart or those with vanilla sensibilities.

And get to the bottom he does, in spectacular fashion.  The dynamic is hot and tender and extremely kinkaaaay.  What confuses me is the "danger" and the need to complicate everything twice over with the emotional plot as well as the history and Connor's investigation.  We were on the way to resolving things and were then thrust back to the feelings of betrayal and hurt before getting back on track only to have it all repeat again.  Jacob, Enrique, Connor, Yoshi...there are so many characters that get tossed in that it complicates feelings and the story a bit too much.  I wish Enrique weren't in the picture at all, and even if he's getting his own book, his role in this one shouldn't have been pushed in our faces so much, especially because we already have to deal with the emotional fallout from Jacob's past choices and Yoshi's current choice.  For the length of the story I wish it had been a little simpler.

I thought the sweetness, when present, was heartwarming and the opportunity for second-chances was well-founded.  It's true that distance and time was necessary for them to finally get on the same page, it just sucks that they needed all the hurtful things in the interim.  Honesty was lacking between them in their beginning, but they more than made up for it in the end.  And Connor's story is really what drew my interest for the series so as we got to know him here I feel that it's a perfect jumping off point to the pseudo-brother's journey.

*$3.99 on Amazon

Attention: This book contains explicit sexual content between consenting assassins and not so innocent professors. There are depictions of male chastity, breath play, watersports, humiliation, and torture by eighties hair bands with ginger sprinkles on top.

Phew! Now, that that's out of the way, Hi. I'm Mr. No, your friendly communications agent for The Assassins' Guild AKA T.A.G.

I've been authorized by the head honcho himself, Mr. H, to release approved records from the agent files.

Agent Code Name Mr. W was recovering from a near death debacle by way of an easy assignment in a small mountain town. Red flags sprang up immediately around the seemingly innocent English professor. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery Jacob Peters presented, Mr. W made plans to do what he did best, watch , wait , and then capture and interrogate.

But even the best laid plans can go awry...

Find out what brought Mr. W to his knees in this first release from the archives of The Assassins' Guild.

Taste on My Tongue: Kitchen Gods Prequel, Beth Bolden

Landon and Quentin are a sweet couple in the making and I got to know them through the Kitchen Gods series before I read this story.  What I was expecting wasn't exactly what we got, but what was presented was mostly sweet with a bit of secrets that had the potential to complicate things.

Landon's POV is the only one we get and I can't say I was in love with that.  Even with a shorter story, as this one is, we really needed something to balance Landon's more high-strung personality.  He dominated every scene and not only because we're in his head all the time.  There were times that I wasn't convinced of his sincerity because despite the sweeter moments of connection, there were so many times we went straight back into his self-serving behaviors.  Rarely did we see Landon thinking about Quentin's needs, what he deserved from Landon, and I think it became a flaw that didn't really go away.  On the other hand, we can see that most of that is a cover for his insecurities and where we ended up went quite a way to soothing my frustrations.

I felt there was a bit of an imbalance between both characters, not in their relationship, but in the attention given to each of them, and didn't get a chance to connect with Quentin much at all.  He was the softer, more understanding, more grounded of the pair and I would have loved to hear from him.

The whole story would likely have benefitted from Quent's insight though I will say that this story was more about Landon's evolution and Quent was a part of it as well as a catalyst for Landon's new outlook.  It was less about the relationship itself, but how it helped Landon to find what he needed.  What he needed gave him the strength to let go of those things holding him down and ultimately gave him wings, a freedom and a peace he hadn't yet experienced.

*$4.99 on Amazon

Almost pop-star Landon Patton has just turned a corner on the worst two years of his life: dropped by his label and dumped by his ungrateful ex-boyfriend. However, his new agent's brilliant plan for Landon's superstardom doesn’t have anything to do with his music – it’s called Kitchen Wars, and it’s the hottest new reality show on TV.

Landon wishes he could have nothing to do with it.

Since the first morning he mixed flour and water, Quentin Maxwell knew he wanted to be a baker. After becoming the pastry chef at a popular LA bakery, anyone else might be satisfied. But Quen wants to call his own shots. Going on Kitchen Wars to win the money for his own bakery seems like a huge risk, but maybe it's worth it.

They’re an unlikely pair. Landon can’t even figure out how to turn an oven on, while Quentin makes his living with one. But with each passing week on Kitchen Wars, they discover what a great team they make – on set, off set, and between the sheets.

Winning should be everything, but what happens when the tastiest pairing is their own?

Never Too Late, Quinn Ward

Michael and Dax had a ton of potential.  I'm not always a fan of children in stories because they're either not age appropriate in their behaviors and speech, they take over scenes and pull focus in a distracting way, or they drive the plot rather than the drama or the relationship.  In this story, Jagger was really the star and Dax his co-star.  Together they made the story worth reading.

While I didn't always like the men, especially Michael, they were real and raw in a way I could justify and sometimes even relate to.  The honesty between them and in their desire to understand was one of the reasons I couldn't write them off as a couple.  I was absolutely not a fan of the running.  Seriously, grow up, Michael.

I found the entire situation with the father-in-law to be strange.  It was unnecessary drama when there's plenty to work with just in Michael's own head and behavior as well as Dax's part in all of that.  I kind of liked the idea, but the bitterness and the anger was a bit of a detraction from the main conflict.  If the story had focused on the actual issue rather than the stuff brought in just to increase the dramatic tension only to have it kind of just go away magically, the story would have been much more enjoyable to read.

As it was, it was a bit of a struggle to get through without needing to take breaks because of how much Michael irritated me before he got his act together.  The resolution was very sweet and I'm even vaguely curious about the friends that spark something on the sidelines.

*$2.99 on Amazon

Dax would have died on the side of the road...if not for the stranger who saved him.

Living in the town where his life changed, Dax can't help but wonder if he's passed the man who brought him back to life.

He doesn't know what that incident cost the med student who stopped to help a dying man.

Now, it's Dax's turn to repay the favor, even if neither of them realize it.

Thick & Thin: THIRDS Book 8, Charlie Cochet

Following this series has been an immense roller coaster that goes from being ridiculous to outlandish, and I'm really not going to say those are bad things.  I personally quite enjoy the chaos, the feels, the general quandary of "how in the world can we go bigger or further".  What sometimes can bother me are the individual actions and reactions of the characters, not the overall story or direction, so I've never disliked any of the books in this series.  This is no exception.

While this was definitely more of a bridge and transition for everyone to move from strictly THIRDS to TIN in intention and eventuality, it carried with it all the characters and crises we've been involved with up to now.  There are a few concerns I have regarding the involvement of Sparks, but that's more something I'm going to keep in the forefront as I read what craziness comes next.  As with most things included in Thick & Thin, we're very much in a "we'll just have to wait and see" holding pattern as to how things will play out and find footing with all the crazy changes Dex is going through.

Dex and his changes will feature heavily because the surprises we've now been introduced to mean big things for him, his team, and their world.  I'm freaking excited to see how it all works together with his penchant for shenanigans and all the hijinks that dogs his heels, usually with explosive consequences.  There are quite a few passionate speeches and diatribes that become repetitive and a bit too lengthy for my tastes and seem placed to lengthen the word count rather than to express his feelings.  We knew how he felt back with Rise & Fall where Dex stood so now we're getting the same impassioned explanation, only it's a little more complicated because of Dex's decisions and genetic changes.

Though I liked this story overall, it was a bit imbalanced between the dramatic monologues and all the other stuff going on at the same time.  I'm still definitely in for more and can't wait to see what comes next, I just felt a little underwhelmed with feeling like I could have had more with less.

$2.99 on Amazon

In a matter of days, Dex has been kidnapped, tortured, killed, revived, become half-Therian, offered the chance to become a spy, and accepted a proposal to marry his jaguar Therian boyfriend, Sloane Brodie. It’s been a lot to take in, and although Dex is still trying to wrap his head around everything that’s happened, he knows he has to move forward. After the events of Smoke & Mirrors, Dex and Sloane find themselves in one of the most frightening situations of all: revealing the truth to their Destructive Delta family. When the dust settles, nothing will ever be the same, and it’s up to Dex to prove that in the face of change, the one thing that will always remain the same is family.

Hathornatum: Peletus Book 1, Taylin Clavelli

The synopsis really doesn't prepare you for the other world you get to experience in the story.  Ashari and Ben are meant to be, Ben is Ashari's heart's mate, and there are dangers all around them that conspire to keep them apart.  Because Egypt is in both of their souls, they get a chance to ignite something new between them and if they can find a way to keep it, to protect it, they just might have the chance at a love that will last longer than a lifetime.

Both Ben and Ashari were interesting in their own right, but it wasn't until we got to the extremely over-complicated Peletus portion that we got Ashari's POV.  Up to that bit it was all Ben and I felt so ambivalent about his character because there was so very little to connect me with him.  I get who he is, and his dreams are interesting, and his view of archaeology was admirable, but on the whole I just couldn't tell you enough about him that I learned and remembered.  It was honestly his relationship with Jared that made him even remotely memorable.  Ashari was so full of secrets and so vague until he had to literally info-dump his history, world, dimension, complications, and Ben's past that I felt completely at a loss for any kind of connection to him individually.

And the immensely chaotic explanation of Peletus, its connection with Earth and other dimensions, and Ashari's background was just too much.  The integration of all that information was poorly woven.  Along with that were the overly descriptive passages that felt like they were trying too hard to be poetic enough to transport you as a reader to the drifting sands of the Egyptian deserts.  It was just too much.  This story could really have used streamlining and a critical Beta reader or few.  The ending was far too abrupt for me with an intense and explosive climax leading to a conclusion far too sudden to feel right.  If the next book in the series picks up right where we left off that might be excusable, but on its own I must say that it was unsatisfying.

But here's what I did like.  The tenderness and connection between the men was very sweet, the relationship between Jared and Ben was really my favorite part of the whole story, and the interesting worlds and races that were created.  Those things were compelling enough to keep me reading, it just took quite a loooooooooong time to get there.

*$6.99 on Amazon

Have you ever wondered if that little voice inside you is actually, your voice?

Egypt captivates Benjamin. As an adult, he immerses himself in his chosen profession, as an archaeologist in the ancient city of Abydos. For Ben, the hieroglyphs, and paintings unlock dreams of a time long lost.

The dig Ben works on is financed by Ashari Hathonatum. For many years, the man has been looking for the one who completes him. He initially saw his heart’s match from a distance. But that was a long time ago and from an alternate universe. When Ashari encounters Ben, he wonders if he is the reincarnation of the man he saw, through another’s eyes, all those years ago. Will the secrets Ashari hides about his heritage stop their love blooming, or will others from his dimension, determined to keep Ashari from his heart’s match, rule the day?

Dark Alpha's Temptation: Reapers Book 9, Donna Grant

Immediately I was drawn to Dubhan and Kyra.  They were both interesting and had either quirks or traits that were unique of all the characters I'd yet met and what brought them together was also very unique.  Not many of the Reapers struggle too hard or too long with their attraction and affection.  I actually prefer when they use their millennia of experience to see that what they're experiencing is singular and extraordinary and therefore don't shunt it to the side or deny it.  There are reasons for delaying and often a process to reconcile their past betrayals with their current situations, but when it hijacks the story I'm not a fan.  That doesn't happen here beyond the one side character they have in common.

Kyra's honesty was refreshing.  It took a little while for all her secrets to be revealed, but her openness with her thoughts and feelings was endearing.  I'm in love with her.  Her insight and resolute adherence to speaking what truths and opinions she had was an incredible strength and boon to all involved in the war.  For her to get Erith to see beyond her seemingly narrow view of her duty and involvement was an amazing feat that I longed to see.  I was so glad Kyra was the one to shed essential light on the truth so oft overlooked by Death.

Dubhan's past was painful, of course, but I think I would have liked a little more detail about it.  When he was telling his story it felt like he was telling someone else's story and the connection wasn't as visceral as it could have been.  There was more feeling when discussing Max than his own family's betrayal.  His family's involvement in the overall enemy's plans could have been a bit more detailed as well, but I was satisfied that we got what we got.

This is kind of a standalone, but we're to the point in the related series, Dark Kings, that it's really best to have read either the full Dark World books beginning with the Kings or at the very least, the Reapers' stories.  There are too many hints, implications, questions, and consequences being brought to the fore here in this story that I couldn't recommend it as a standalone romance.  As a part of a series and a world, this is one of my favorite!

*$3.99 on Amazon

There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I’m coming for you…

Carrying Death's orders is my sole duty. I've never had reason to question her, even if I disagreed. But Kyra's fierceness and willpower sheds light on my mission. She drives the darkness of my world away. The answers to the Others' goals lie in her past. For Kyra, I will risk going against Death's wishes. For her...I will battle the past and the future itself.

Off Camera, Wendy Qualls

Max caught my attention right off the bat with his competence and stellar effort at not becoming too starstruck to do his job or deliver what he promised.  His shy awkwardness really worked for me.  And his intelligence and ingenuity in his job was a surprising facet that really went a long way to making him my favorite of the MC's.  Every so often his vulnerability got in his way a bit, but overall he maintained the most stable presence even in his little bit of growth as he stepped out of his comfort zone.

There wasn't much character growth on either side, but slightly more so on Devon's because he had his past to overcome if he wanted a future with Max.  I was satisfied by his groveling at the end, but the separation bothered me only because it took so long for any kind of amends to be made at all.  If it weren't for surprise kicks in the head I don't know that he would have made the choice to fix things on his own, which was slightly disappointing.  The tattoo doodle part before then really broke my heart and I almost gave up on Devon when we got that little scene.

Together they definitely worked, though I can't say their chemistry was anything truly exciting or spectacular.  The whole story felt soft, subtle, and slow-moving despite only having the relationship build over the course of a couple weeks with a fairly quick jump into one another's pants.  It was a very nice story that was a much better representation of what this author can write than when I initially found their books.  The feels were present even if they were much more mellow, but that's not always a bad thing.

*$3.99 on Amazon

Devon Yoshiro may be a famous actor, but he's also a big brother. When his niece turns six and his sister is laid up after surgery, he sticks around town after promoting his new movie at a major scifi convention to help out. He may know nothing about kids, parties, or planning, but how hard can it be?

Max Harrington develops a major crush on the actor he met while volunteering at Con--which is why he's in shock that Devon has chosen HIS little science museum to host a birthday party. And has chosen him for a little stress relief. No point in wanting more...