Review: Aelith by Becca Seymour 5 of 5 stars

Aelith by Becca Seymour
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Expecting a snowboarding trip in Portugal, Dawson is instead dragged through a dimensional rift into the monster-filled world of Terrafeara, where he accidentally bonds with an alien prince named Aelith after the warrior shares his life force to save him. Now, Dawson has to navigate a perilous realm where Aelith is a walking political disaster, an ongoing rebellion threatens the Queen, and secrets about the rifts begin to surface. With the fate of every world connected to the rifts hanging in the balance, Dawson and Aelith must survive the impending chaos or lose everything.

I absolutely loved this story! Dawson is an absolute highlight—he's hilarious, sassy, and simply never knows when to shut his mouth. His compulsive need to try and defuse every tense situation was so entertaining, even when it was clearly a really terrible choice! I really loved his bond with Aelith and the way it was something totally new and unexpected to both of them. While Aelith is generally careful, controlled, and proper, they are a textbook example of a wonderful opposites-attract pairing, and together they are just perfect. It was so rewarding to watch Dawson slowly chip away at Aelith's rigid shell, making him less uptight as his face would often betray a little hint of humor at Dawson's endless verbal ramblings. The story has plenty of emotions and feelings throughout, and I especially loved the high-stakes events at the end involving Aelith's siblings and parents, even if it did generate a massive amount of danger and drama. A fantastic, thoroughly entertaining read. This was an MM story with mature content.

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Review: The Dragon's Temporary Manny by Colbie Dunbar 3 of 5 stars

The Dragon's Temporary Manny: An MM Mpreg Shifter Romance by Colbie Dunbar
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

River lives a transient lifestyle, taking short-term jobs with an expiry date so he can always leave while it is still fun. He expects his temporary manny gig for a single dad named Sebastian and his triplet daughters to be an easy job with a clean exit, but the girls pull constant tricks, talk about dragons as if they are right there, and never take off their charm bracelets. Though Sebastian is gorgeous, he keeps his distance despite lingering looks. As bedtime stories and near-miss kisses pile up, River stops watching the exits, realizing that wanting to stay with this mysterious family scares him far more than whatever secrets they are hiding.

This was an enjoyable and sweet story to read, though it had a few quirks. I did feel a bit disappointed that the reason Sebastian was raising the triplets alone wasn't really explained or included in the plot. On the bright side, I loved how the story gave each of the triplets their own distinct personality - they were so kind and well-behaved, even when they were being occasionally a little mischievous. I did struggle a bit to connect with some of the world-building regarding River being a human omega; it felt a bit confusing why he didn't have normal omega features like heats and somehow didn't even know that he could get pregnant. Despite those logical hurdles, it remains a sweet, cosy read that is ultimately fun to dive into. This was an MM story with mature content and set in the omegaverse with MPREG.

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Review: The Duke's Cowboy by Andrew Grey 4 of 5 stars

The Duke's Cowboy by Andrew Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fleeing British nobility for freedom in San Francisco, George Lester, the Duke of Northumberland, gets stranded by a blizzard and ends up on Alan Justice's family ranch with a litter of puppies. Though initially dismissive, ranch heir Alan is won over when George expertly helps a mare give birth. As the men grow closer, George's impending return to Britain challenges Alan to prove he can step up and be the duke's cowboy.

This was a very enjoyable romance story that explored the unique premise of a British Duke stranded on a US ranch. It was wonderfully surprising to see how genuinely useful George was, bringing a set of surprisingly transferable skills to rural life. I loved the delightful opposites-attract theme, as well as the emotional angst - though most of the tension stemmed from friction between the Justice family and a difficult neighbour rather than the couple themselves. On the downside, George's mother felt a bit too heavily drawn from a classic British nobility stereotype, and I did find some of the repetition in the narrative a bit tedious at times. Even so, the story is packed with plenty of emotions and feelings throughout that were easy to connect with and understand, and I loved the satisfying ending. This was an MM story with mature content.

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Review: Legends and Longing by M.A. Innes 4 of 5 stars

Legends and Longing by M.A. Innes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shiloh finds himself thrust through a portal to fulfil an unwanted destiny, only to discover his fates have handed him two mates who are entirely clueless about submissive dynamics and each other. Zorin is learning the nuances of English along with new concepts like caretaking a mate, though he remains baffled by what the fates were thinking pairing him with Raxius. Meanwhile, Raxius is utterly confused by both his new reality and his complicated mates, left trying to figure out how to comfort his shy Earth mate and take care of two completely different males.

This was such a fun read as the three men tried to figure out how to make their unique relationship work! It is wonderfully confusing for them all, especially since they are dealing with the ultimate cultural and species crossover (a mage, an alien, and a dragon) while also navigating roles as a Master, a Daddy who is a submissive, and a little. There is just so much for them to sort out! It's an amusing, highly entertaining read that will make you smile and laugh, while at the same time occasionally making you want to gently shake them together until they get their acts straight. A delightful and quirky dynamic that totally works! This was an MMM story with mature content with BDSM-like DDLB and D/s dynamics.

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Review: Fall Into Me by Becca Neil 5 of 5 stars

Fall Into Me by Becca Neil
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Following a devastating late-night phone call about his twin sister, Asher Finnley rushes to California, only to find himself completely overwhelmed and alone. Months later, stranded mid-journey back to Seattle during an early-December snowstorm with a four-month-old infant to care for, Ash has to rely on the help of a stranger. Caspian Jacobs, who has put his life on hold to be his mother's full-time caregiver in Redding, California, steps in to help when Ash literally falls into his arms. Though they end up six hundred miles apart once the roads clear, their fragile friendship becomes a lifeline for Ash. As Cass hopes for more, Ash struggles to see past his grief, leaving them to bridge the distance and find a hard-won happily-ever-after.

I absolutely loved this story. It is packed with deep emotions and feelings throughout, featuring plenty of raw angst as Ash struggles to navigate his profound grief while also caring for a small child. The slow-building friendship between Cass and Ash is simply beautiful to watch as they mutually support one another through the heavy challenges they face in their lives. Little Bri is such a precious child, and the sweet glimpses into their daily lives were a wonderful, organic way to judge the passage of time. This story truly takes you on an emotional journey that will cause you to cry, to laugh, and to smile from beginning to end. This was an MM story with mature content.

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Review: The Fight Within by Andrew Grey 4 of 5 stars

The Fight Within by Andrew Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After losing his partner, Bryce Morton reluctantly joins friends on a camping trip to a Sioux reservation, where he meets Paytah Stillwater, a guarded man carrying deep scars from childhood abuse. As Bryce's kindness begins to break through Paytah's emotional walls, the two form a growing connection. When Paytah's abuser threatens another child on the reservation, Bryce and Paytah must confront their past pain together, finding strength, healing, and love in their shared fight to protect others.

This was an emotional romance that tackled several difficult and important topics alongside Bryce and Paytah's developing relationship. Paytah's history of abuse was heartbreaking, and the story also showed how that harm continued to affect others on the reservation. The author didn't shy away from the realities of poverty, limited job opportunities, and the challenges faced by many of the adults and children living there. Despite these heavy themes, the romance remained at the heart of the story. Bryce's kindness and support helped Paytah begin to heal, and their growing connection felt genuine and heartfelt. I especially appreciated how clearly the emotions were written. The characters' feelings, struggles, and hopes were easy to understand, making it simple to become invested in their journey. Overall, this was a moving story about love, healing, and standing together against injustice, with strong emotional depth throughout. This was an MM story with mature content.

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Review: Shadow Lord by S. Rodman 5 of 5 stars

Shadow Lord by S. Rodman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bunny's move to the city takes a wild turn when he gets a job at a coffee shop run by a witch and a shadow prince, and somehow ends up with a terrifying, silent shadow man from the Shadow Realm named Dark stalking his every move. Despite being a brooding monster with fathomless amber eyes, Dark is surprisingly sweet, considerate, and attentive to Bunny's annoyingly cheerful personality—making Bunny want to claim him for himself. Before they can figure out their unusual bond, however, they have to deal with a small complication: saving the world from a looming doomsday prophecy.

I absolutely loved this story! It features such a wonderfully crazy found family at the coffee shop, perfectly contrasted with an even crazier cult that Bunny grew up in. I also loved the developing relationship between Bunny and Dark; it's a wonderfully satisfying slow burn that completely delivers on the deep, genuine love growing between them both. Packed with high stakes, drama, and danger as they face down an end-of-the-world prophecy, I loved seeing how they reacted to it all. The story is brimming with raw emotions and feelings throughout that are so easy to connect with and feel right alongside the characters. A fantastic, wildly entertaining read. This was an MM story with mature content.

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