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Bearytales in the Wood #1
Snow Twink
A shivering runaway twink, stumbling through the snowy night in a panic. A lonely Daddy bear who needs a boy. Will they find each other before it’s too late?
In the Kingdom Mountain theme park, a young kitchen worker dreams of being a boy to a Daddy who loves him, but the evil CEO has other plans for Lyle.
Gruff is built like a bear and with the heart of a Daddy. But as the youngest and smallest of seven gay brothers who live together in the Kingdom Mountain forest, the chances of finding a boy of his own are slim.
Lost in the woods as night falls, Lyle is getting colder by the minute. Will he be saved by the Daddy bear just waiting for a boy like him?
Snow Twink is part of the MM Fairy Tale Romance series. All books are completely standalone and are modern retellings of classic fairy tales with a gay romance twist.
In the Kingdom Mountain theme park, a young kitchen worker dreams of being a boy to a Daddy who loves him, but the evil CEO has other plans for Lyle.
Gruff is built like a bear and with the heart of a Daddy. But as the youngest and smallest of seven gay brothers who live together in the Kingdom Mountain forest, the chances of finding a boy of his own are slim.
Lost in the woods as night falls, Lyle is getting colder by the minute. Will he be saved by the Daddy bear just waiting for a boy like him?
Snow Twink is part of the MM Fairy Tale Romance series. All books are completely standalone and are modern retellings of classic fairy tales with a gay romance twist.
138 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 3, 2020
About the author
Sue Brown
129 books819 followersHot guys, big hearts, Sue's world.
Sue Brown is a Londoner with a dream to live on a small island. Coffee fuels her addiction to writing romance with hot guys loving each other, and her Adorkadog snores in harmony as she creates.
Sue Brown is a Londoner with a dream to live on a small island. Coffee fuels her addiction to writing romance with hot guys loving each other, and her Adorkadog snores in harmony as she creates.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
October 24, 2021
2,5 stars
A MM Snow White retailing with daddy kink? Yes please give it to me. This book was pretty much catered to me. And I had a good time reading it, but sadly it wasn't all that I wanted it to be.
Brief summary
Lyle is lost in a forest on his eighteenth birthday. Gruff is taking a walk in the forest and he finds Lyle there. He picks Lyle up and brings him to his family's house. Gruff takes care of Lyle and saves him from death. They fall in love and realize that they would be good in a daddy and boy relationship
First, this book really fascinated it with its start. We had Lyle lost in the forest and he was sure he was going to die and praying for a daddy to save him. It really was a fascinating premise and it made me want to read more of the book. Sadly the plot of the book just lost me after a while.
Second, I really liked that the snow white twist is Lyle and a family of seven brothers who are all gay and daddies (instead of Snow White and the seven dwarfs), that's such a fun twist on the subject and i'm excited to read about everyone else in the family.
Third, Gruff was such a good daddy to me. I loved how possessive Gruff was. He had laid eyes on Lyle once and he already was referring to him as his boy and being super possessive over him and I absolutely loved that. Gruff was such a sweet daddy and it made my heart melt how he was always telling Lyle to eat his food or to take care of himself. I loved how Gruff just always wanted the best for Lyle and made sure that Lyle was treated well.
Fourth, they got together a bit too fast for my taste. At 14% they were already calling each other daddy and my boy and almost in a relationship. And they had barely talked then and they had never talked about what they want in a relationship so that part felt a little jarring to me. Because how did they know they want the same kind of relationship if they never talked about it? They just randomly got together without even saying that they are attracted to each other or wanted a relationship. I just wanted them to discuss it before they got together because the switch to them being not together and them being together was very jarring to me since they never talked about it.
Fifth, his was just a little too insta for me. At 25%, when they knew each other for one day and hadn’t even kissed yet, they were already throwing the love word around. I don’t mind insta love most times but that was a bit too much for me.
Sixth, there were just too many plot points developed in the story for me. There were a lot of side plots and they really took away from the main couple for me. I was mostly only interested in the main couple and seeing how they were together. I prefer seeing a couple get together without many side plots so there were just a little too many side plots for me. Mostly there was an evil rich guy who kept trying to kill Lyle and kidnap him so they could live together forever and that same dude had an entire group of people he kidnaped and used to his wishes, which was just a little too much for me mostly because I don’t really like reading about drama outside of relationships in books. Also, I wished that the side plots were more developed because they all felt very superficial to me and I just wanted to go back to Gruff and Lyle being together.
I wish I enjoyed this book more than I did because it had a lot of elements I really enjoy in a book, I just wish it had fewer side plots because I really liked the couple and wanted to spend more time with them.
I received a copy of this book, and this is my honest review.
A MM Snow White retailing with daddy kink? Yes please give it to me. This book was pretty much catered to me. And I had a good time reading it, but sadly it wasn't all that I wanted it to be.
Brief summary
Lyle is lost in a forest on his eighteenth birthday. Gruff is taking a walk in the forest and he finds Lyle there. He picks Lyle up and brings him to his family's house. Gruff takes care of Lyle and saves him from death. They fall in love and realize that they would be good in a daddy and boy relationship
First, this book really fascinated it with its start. We had Lyle lost in the forest and he was sure he was going to die and praying for a daddy to save him. It really was a fascinating premise and it made me want to read more of the book. Sadly the plot of the book just lost me after a while.
Second, I really liked that the snow white twist is Lyle and a family of seven brothers who are all gay and daddies (instead of Snow White and the seven dwarfs), that's such a fun twist on the subject and i'm excited to read about everyone else in the family.
Third, Gruff was such a good daddy to me. I loved how possessive Gruff was. He had laid eyes on Lyle once and he already was referring to him as his boy and being super possessive over him and I absolutely loved that. Gruff was such a sweet daddy and it made my heart melt how he was always telling Lyle to eat his food or to take care of himself. I loved how Gruff just always wanted the best for Lyle and made sure that Lyle was treated well.
Fourth, they got together a bit too fast for my taste. At 14% they were already calling each other daddy and my boy and almost in a relationship. And they had barely talked then and they had never talked about what they want in a relationship so that part felt a little jarring to me. Because how did they know they want the same kind of relationship if they never talked about it? They just randomly got together without even saying that they are attracted to each other or wanted a relationship. I just wanted them to discuss it before they got together because the switch to them being not together and them being together was very jarring to me since they never talked about it.
Fifth, his was just a little too insta for me. At 25%, when they knew each other for one day and hadn’t even kissed yet, they were already throwing the love word around. I don’t mind insta love most times but that was a bit too much for me.
Sixth, there were just too many plot points developed in the story for me. There were a lot of side plots and they really took away from the main couple for me. I was mostly only interested in the main couple and seeing how they were together. I prefer seeing a couple get together without many side plots so there were just a little too many side plots for me. Mostly there was an evil rich guy who kept trying to kill Lyle and kidnap him so they could live together forever and that same dude had an entire group of people he kidnaped and used to his wishes, which was just a little too much for me mostly because I don’t really like reading about drama outside of relationships in books. Also, I wished that the side plots were more developed because they all felt very superficial to me and I just wanted to go back to Gruff and Lyle being together.
I wish I enjoyed this book more than I did because it had a lot of elements I really enjoy in a book, I just wish it had fewer side plots because I really liked the couple and wanted to spend more time with them.
I received a copy of this book, and this is my honest review.
August 13, 2021
Lyle (18yo) was rescued by Gruff (28yo) from the snow and cold. Gruff was the youngest of the seven and for those (like me) was thinking whether there's menage -. Gruff had always wanted to be a daddy and Lyle was like his dreams come true, a boy he can care for and loves from his heart. However, Lyle came with a dark past and its up to them and Gruff's brothers to save it. Overall, I liked the skeleton of the story and how the author twist this retelling of snow white and the seven dwarves. Yet, something about the pace and how it was told just didn engage with me well.
October 4, 2022
Tags: daddy kink, Snow White retelling, size gap, 7 brothers
2.5* rounded down. it was fairly readable and I did finish it. But I didn’t like how they immediately put Lyle to work basically as a servant. felt weird since Gruff also wanted to be with Lyle romantically.
2.5* rounded down. it was fairly readable and I did finish it. But I didn’t like how they immediately put Lyle to work basically as a servant. felt weird since Gruff also wanted to be with Lyle romantically.
November 7, 2020
This is not your average Snow White story! I have read many different versions of this fairy tale, even a few MM ones before this one. I did enjoy it. Poor Lyle can’t remember how he wound up in the snow out in the forest and left for dead on his 18th birthday, at least not at first. He certainly didn’t expect to be found by a giant teddy bear of a man named Gruff who has 6 older brothers just like him. Turns out, these 7 brothers are anything but ordinary and they welcome him into their home and hearts. Lyle slowly remembers what happened to him while he is being cared for by Gruff and his brothers. As he becomes a welcome part of their family, they discover that there is real evil living just on the other side of their mountain and it wants to get Lyle back before he exposes it for what it is. It isn’t often that you have one boy and 7 Daddies but this is really a story about just Gruff and Lyle. Lyle is so vulnerable but under Gruff’s care he really begins to blossom and find his own strength. I would be curious to know if there would possibly be stories about the other brothers some day as part of a different series because they all deserve to find their own boy. This was really a good little retelling of a classic story and I enjoyed it immensely. I did read an ARC of this book.
August 11, 2021
I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected, the snow white retelling is a lot of fun. For a short read there is plenty of development, an interesting history and adorable romance.
The main characters Gruff & Lyle were lovely, I loved how Gruff supported Lyle and took care of him. While Lyle enjoys taking care of the brothers and cooking, he also needs to be told when to stop and take a break as he struggles to understand new situation. The kink and steam is rather light, but fitting to their relationship.
Learning about his childhood and the park, the Ceo and how the boys as treated is awful but told in an incredible way. It was handled well and I loved how resolved in the end, with the happily ever after.
Also I adore all of the seven brothers and wish this were a series, as would've loved to see each of them find love. Some hinted at towards the end, which looked to be a lot of fun so I'm glad got that at least.
Overall an entertaining and enjoyable read, rather unique retelling of Snow white. With a lovely ending! 💕
The main characters Gruff & Lyle were lovely, I loved how Gruff supported Lyle and took care of him. While Lyle enjoys taking care of the brothers and cooking, he also needs to be told when to stop and take a break as he struggles to understand new situation. The kink and steam is rather light, but fitting to their relationship.
Learning about his childhood and the park, the Ceo and how the boys as treated is awful but told in an incredible way. It was handled well and I loved how resolved in the end, with the happily ever after.
Also I adore all of the seven brothers and wish this were a series, as would've loved to see each of them find love. Some hinted at towards the end, which looked to be a lot of fun so I'm glad got that at least.
Overall an entertaining and enjoyable read, rather unique retelling of Snow white. With a lovely ending! 💕
January 22, 2021
I liked the idea of this book, but the execution didn't really work for me.
The characters ended up being too one dimensional and whittled down to just their base labels. Daddy. Boy. Bear. Twink. The immediate possessiveness to the point of growling, literally, was too much for me. Maybe if it were set in a fantasy AU it would have worked better, but I kept trying to apply contemporary logic to all the situations and conversations and that just wasn't a possibility here. Not without becoming increasingly irritated at the inconceivable reactions.
Snow Twink didn't read like other Sue Brown books in the slightest and I've loved many of her stories. So, I'll just chalk this one up as not a match for me, even though I could totally see how it could work for other readers.
The characters ended up being too one dimensional and whittled down to just their base labels. Daddy. Boy. Bear. Twink. The immediate possessiveness to the point of growling, literally, was too much for me. Maybe if it were set in a fantasy AU it would have worked better, but I kept trying to apply contemporary logic to all the situations and conversations and that just wasn't a possibility here. Not without becoming increasingly irritated at the inconceivable reactions.
Snow Twink didn't read like other Sue Brown books in the slightest and I've loved many of her stories. So, I'll just chalk this one up as not a match for me, even though I could totally see how it could work for other readers.
December 15, 2020
Cute
What a cute way to retell this story. Adding in a Daddy/boy twist. I really enjoyed it. Loved seeing all the brothers, and hope they all find their boys. The writing was good, story was good, and the smexy was ok, could have used more detail especially around their first time but other than that good story
What a cute way to retell this story. Adding in a Daddy/boy twist. I really enjoyed it. Loved seeing all the brothers, and hope they all find their boys. The writing was good, story was good, and the smexy was ok, could have used more detail especially around their first time but other than that good story
May 26, 2024
This was not my favorite book by Sue Brown. I gave it three stars because she’s a great writer. It’s probably me and not the book. I’m not a big fan of Daddy/boy stories so that was a turn off.
December 17, 2020
3.5 stars
January 6, 2021
A different twist to the Snow White retelling. Light with low angst and daddy kink, it was nice in keeping with the overall theme in the MM fairytale romance series as the second book.
July 6, 2024
Dang kingdom mountain sounded twisted 💩
I'm invested in all the brothers' happiness now.
I'm invested in all the brothers' happiness now.
November 16, 2020
Cute Twist But Lots of Holes
This is a take-off on Snow White with the seven dwarfs being full grown big bearish brothers who live in the forest but have no idea what goes on in the Magic Kingdom Castle tourist attraction right next door. That's until one of them, Gruff, finds a nearly dead 18-year-old named Lyle, frozen in the snow.
The brothers apparently have found other young men who were already dead on their property in recent years but just turned the bodies over to the sheriff.
That's Hole #1.
There are plenty others throughout a book in which Gruff becomes Daddy to Lyle's Boy almost instantly and a sinister and vile plot evolves to set up the nearly chaotic ending.
Lots of heat in the bedroom, lots of role playing, cute in spots and a good palate cleanser when angst gets you down.
This is a take-off on Snow White with the seven dwarfs being full grown big bearish brothers who live in the forest but have no idea what goes on in the Magic Kingdom Castle tourist attraction right next door. That's until one of them, Gruff, finds a nearly dead 18-year-old named Lyle, frozen in the snow.
The brothers apparently have found other young men who were already dead on their property in recent years but just turned the bodies over to the sheriff.
That's Hole #1.
There are plenty others throughout a book in which Gruff becomes Daddy to Lyle's Boy almost instantly and a sinister and vile plot evolves to set up the nearly chaotic ending.
Lots of heat in the bedroom, lots of role playing, cute in spots and a good palate cleanser when angst gets you down.
November 8, 2020
Snow Twink had a great Daddy/boy twist on the classic Snow White fairy tale. Sue Brown is still a new author for me, but I've enjoyed everything I've read so far by her. Lyle has escaped from the Magic Kingdom only to end up lost in the woods and being discovered by Gruff the 7th Daddy in a family of ...daddies (actually brothers) who own a Christmas tree farm. Gruff was wonderfully sweet and caring with Lyle and never forced him to do anything. There are some dark undertones in this book once the truth about Magic Kingdom is revealed. I hope the author expands this world and each brother gets their own HEA. What a wonderful read :)
November 14, 2020
I really enjoyed this retelling of Snow White. Lyle and Gruff were perfect for each other and Gruff's brothers made me laugh. The Daddy/Boy trope isn't a big draw for me but I have to admit this one worked.
I wish the story was longer, I would have liked for some of Gruff's brothers to find their boy and I would have liked to know what happened to the orphans from the Kingdom Mountain theme park. I feel a bit like the story ended with things still up in the air. All in all though, this was an enjoyable read.
TAGS
-- Fairy tale retelling/Snow White -- Daddy/Boy -- sweet moments -- some sadness -- some angst -- made me laugh -- wish there was more
November 15, 2020
Provided an ARC by GRR for an honest review.
These fairy tale really great. This was a twist on Snow White. Lyle is a very sweet boy who was thrown out into the cold after being “imprisoned” for 14 years. He is left out in the cold to die. Only he doesn’t and Gruff finds him. Gruff is a Daddy and he finds his boy. But the evils that imprisoned Lyle for long are not prepared to let Lyle have his HEA so they work to keep that from happening. But good concurs the evil and Lyle along with the other “imprisoned” boys are saved. This was a sweet Daddy/boy hurt comfort read.
These fairy tale really great. This was a twist on Snow White. Lyle is a very sweet boy who was thrown out into the cold after being “imprisoned” for 14 years. He is left out in the cold to die. Only he doesn’t and Gruff finds him. Gruff is a Daddy and he finds his boy. But the evils that imprisoned Lyle for long are not prepared to let Lyle have his HEA so they work to keep that from happening. But good concurs the evil and Lyle along with the other “imprisoned” boys are saved. This was a sweet Daddy/boy hurt comfort read.
March 13, 2022
Not really a holiday story, more a story that takes place during Winter while one set of people harvest Christmas trees. No holiday scenes in this one. Now that I have that out of the way, about the story: yeah, it's pretty much about what I expected. It's a little light on...most everything? Except for heavy on the big Daddy bears. Not a bad book, but not mentally challenging either. As long as you know that going in to it, you'll probably be satisifed.
December 22, 2020
I had this one on my TBR since it came out and couldn’t really get myself to start on it. I am glad I did – it was just so damn cute. A serious case of insta-love but it’s a Christmas fairy tale, so I’ll allow it. And did I mention cute?
Of course it did take a turn towards dark and angsty but obviously the good guys won and Lyle got his happy ending safe in his Daddy’s arms.
Of course it did take a turn towards dark and angsty but obviously the good guys won and Lyle got his happy ending safe in his Daddy’s arms.
November 14, 2020
Snow Twink is the second book in a series of 6 modern MM fairytale retellingen by 6 different authors. Snow Twink is a modern MM Snow White retelling and written by Sue Brown. I loved the story of Gruff and Lyle.Their story was hot, sexy, sweet and very well written. If you love (modern) fairytale retellings or just love sweet romances this one is for you.
November 19, 2020
"Snow Twink" by Sue Brown is another novel in "An MM Fairy Tale Romance" series written by multiple authors. The story presented by the author refers to the well-known "Snow White" fairy tale and although it contains elements thanks to which "Snow Twink" sticks a little closer to the original story, there are even more things that makes Sue Brown's book different from the actual fairy tale. Naturally, our main characters' story is a contemporary romance, so it has been embedded in our everyday world. Nevertheless, it has been presented in such a way that it often seems to be some kind of a fairy tale. For example, let's look at the characters themselves, as they have this something in them that we associate with fantasy. On the one hand we have seven brothers and on the other, a poor orphan reminding us a bit of Santa's elf.
And since I've mentioned Santa Claus... In "Snow Twink" there is a motif that from the very beginning to the end I associated inextricably with a quite controversial version of the Santa Claus factory, where they use cheap labor – little elves, children, orphans. In fact, once this image popped into my head, I couldn't get rid of it. Not only that, I really liked it. Winter vibe, Christmas is coming, a group of young elves that work like slaves. Believe me, various things can be said about "Snow Twink", but this theme I've mentioned and unique atmosphere are what really amazed me in this book. I'm sure I'll read this story again really soon, probably around Christmas, because Sue Brown made me really addicted to the idea of some dark Santa factory motif.
The topic of taking advantage of and using orphans as cheap labor and getting rid of them when they turn eighteen is certainly not an optimistic, light or pleasant one, but despite all this we read "Snow Twink" very quickly and this story does not overwhelm us, it doesn't make our heart's"heavier". It is very possible that the author achieves all this thanks to the fact that in her book she focuses, among other things, on the rapidly developing affection between the main characters. It seems to me that thanks to all those less serious, less dramatic themes and plots, the novel seem to be lighter than it really is.
To sum up, "Snow Twink" is a novel that many readers will really fall in love with. There's no doubt that we can find some very interesting motifs in this story, and the style in which Sue Brown presents her novel is pleasant to read. It may not be the book of the year, but it is worth reading and you will definitely read it once again in the future.
__________________________
„Snow Twink” autorstwa Sue Brown to kolejna powieść z serii „ An MM Fairy Tale Romance” tworzonej przez wielu autorów. Historia przedstawiona przez autorkę odnosi się do znanej nam wszystkim „Królewny Śnieżki” i chociaż zawiera elementy zbliżające „Snow Twink” do oryginału, to jednak jeszcze więcej sprawia, że książka Sue Brown różni się od pierwowzoru. Naturalnie historia naszych głównych bohaterów to romans współczesny, a więc została osadzona w naszym codziennym świecie. Niemniej jednak, została przestawiona w taki sposób, że wielokrotnie wydaje się być baśniowa. Wystarczy spojrzeć na samych bohaterów, którzy mają w sobie to coś, co kojarzy nam się z fantastyką. Przykładem może być chociażby siedmiu braci lub też drobna sierota. przypominająca nam trochę skrzata Świętego Mikołaja.
A skoro wspomniałam o Świętym Mikołaju… W „Snow Twink” pojawia się motyw, który od samego początku do końca kojarzył mi się nierozerwalnie z dosyć kontrowersyjną wersją fabryki Świętego Mikołaja, w której do pracy wykorzystywana jest tania siła robocza – małe elfy, dzieci, sieroty. Prawdę mówiąc, kiedy już ten obraz pojawił się w moim umyśle, nie byłam w stanie się go pozbyć. Mało tego, niesamowicie mi się to spodobało. Zimowy klimat, święta za pasem, grupa drwali, wykorzystywane do pracy dzieci. Wierzcie mi, o „Snow Twink” można powiedzieć różne rzeczy, ale ten wspomniany motyw i ten wyjątkowy klimat są tym, co naprawdę mnie zachwyciło w tej książce. Jestem pewna, że niedługo sięgnę po nią jeszcze raz, prawdopodobnie bliżej Bożego Narodzenia, ponieważ Sue Brown sprawiła, że naprawdę nakręciłam się na motyw mrocznej fabryki Mikołaja.
Temat wyzyskiwania sierot oraz pozbywania się ich, gdy skończą osiemnaście lat to z pewnością nic dobrego, nic lekkiego ani przyjemnego, jednak „Snow Twink” czyta się mimo wszystko bardzo szybko i historia ta nie przytłacza nas, nie obciąża naszego serca. Bardzo możliwe, że autorka osiąga to dzięki temu, że w swojej książce skupia się między innymi na rozwijającym się naprawdę szybko zainteresowaniu głównych bohaterów sobą nawzajem. Wydaje mi się, że to właśnie te mniej poważne, mniej dramatyczne tematy i wątki sprawiają, że powieść wydaje się nam lżejsza, niż w rzeczywistości jest.
Podsumowując, „Snow Twink” to powieść, która naprawdę może się podobać wielu czytelnikom. Niezaprzeczalnie znajdziemy w tej historii bardzo interesujące motywy, zaś styl w jakim Sue Brown przedstawia nam swoją powieść jest naprawdę przyjemny w odbiorze. Nie jest to może książka roku, ale warto po nią sięgnąć i z chęcią się do niej wraca.
And since I've mentioned Santa Claus... In "Snow Twink" there is a motif that from the very beginning to the end I associated inextricably with a quite controversial version of the Santa Claus factory, where they use cheap labor – little elves, children, orphans. In fact, once this image popped into my head, I couldn't get rid of it. Not only that, I really liked it. Winter vibe, Christmas is coming, a group of young elves that work like slaves. Believe me, various things can be said about "Snow Twink", but this theme I've mentioned and unique atmosphere are what really amazed me in this book. I'm sure I'll read this story again really soon, probably around Christmas, because Sue Brown made me really addicted to the idea of some dark Santa factory motif.
The topic of taking advantage of and using orphans as cheap labor and getting rid of them when they turn eighteen is certainly not an optimistic, light or pleasant one, but despite all this we read "Snow Twink" very quickly and this story does not overwhelm us, it doesn't make our heart's"heavier". It is very possible that the author achieves all this thanks to the fact that in her book she focuses, among other things, on the rapidly developing affection between the main characters. It seems to me that thanks to all those less serious, less dramatic themes and plots, the novel seem to be lighter than it really is.
To sum up, "Snow Twink" is a novel that many readers will really fall in love with. There's no doubt that we can find some very interesting motifs in this story, and the style in which Sue Brown presents her novel is pleasant to read. It may not be the book of the year, but it is worth reading and you will definitely read it once again in the future.
__________________________
„Snow Twink” autorstwa Sue Brown to kolejna powieść z serii „ An MM Fairy Tale Romance” tworzonej przez wielu autorów. Historia przedstawiona przez autorkę odnosi się do znanej nam wszystkim „Królewny Śnieżki” i chociaż zawiera elementy zbliżające „Snow Twink” do oryginału, to jednak jeszcze więcej sprawia, że książka Sue Brown różni się od pierwowzoru. Naturalnie historia naszych głównych bohaterów to romans współczesny, a więc została osadzona w naszym codziennym świecie. Niemniej jednak, została przestawiona w taki sposób, że wielokrotnie wydaje się być baśniowa. Wystarczy spojrzeć na samych bohaterów, którzy mają w sobie to coś, co kojarzy nam się z fantastyką. Przykładem może być chociażby siedmiu braci lub też drobna sierota. przypominająca nam trochę skrzata Świętego Mikołaja.
A skoro wspomniałam o Świętym Mikołaju… W „Snow Twink” pojawia się motyw, który od samego początku do końca kojarzył mi się nierozerwalnie z dosyć kontrowersyjną wersją fabryki Świętego Mikołaja, w której do pracy wykorzystywana jest tania siła robocza – małe elfy, dzieci, sieroty. Prawdę mówiąc, kiedy już ten obraz pojawił się w moim umyśle, nie byłam w stanie się go pozbyć. Mało tego, niesamowicie mi się to spodobało. Zimowy klimat, święta za pasem, grupa drwali, wykorzystywane do pracy dzieci. Wierzcie mi, o „Snow Twink” można powiedzieć różne rzeczy, ale ten wspomniany motyw i ten wyjątkowy klimat są tym, co naprawdę mnie zachwyciło w tej książce. Jestem pewna, że niedługo sięgnę po nią jeszcze raz, prawdopodobnie bliżej Bożego Narodzenia, ponieważ Sue Brown sprawiła, że naprawdę nakręciłam się na motyw mrocznej fabryki Mikołaja.
Temat wyzyskiwania sierot oraz pozbywania się ich, gdy skończą osiemnaście lat to z pewnością nic dobrego, nic lekkiego ani przyjemnego, jednak „Snow Twink” czyta się mimo wszystko bardzo szybko i historia ta nie przytłacza nas, nie obciąża naszego serca. Bardzo możliwe, że autorka osiąga to dzięki temu, że w swojej książce skupia się między innymi na rozwijającym się naprawdę szybko zainteresowaniu głównych bohaterów sobą nawzajem. Wydaje mi się, że to właśnie te mniej poważne, mniej dramatyczne tematy i wątki sprawiają, że powieść wydaje się nam lżejsza, niż w rzeczywistości jest.
Podsumowując, „Snow Twink” to powieść, która naprawdę może się podobać wielu czytelnikom. Niezaprzeczalnie znajdziemy w tej historii bardzo interesujące motywy, zaś styl w jakim Sue Brown przedstawia nam swoją powieść jest naprawdę przyjemny w odbiorze. Nie jest to może książka roku, ale warto po nią sięgnąć i z chęcią się do niej wraca.
February 1, 2022
3.5 stars.
Fairytale retellings can be tricky, especially when introducing modern surroundings and technology, but still trying to keep with the original tale. Here we have a retelling of Snow White and The 7 Dwarves in which we have a male Snow White, a twink to boot, and 7 brothers (all of them gay) who all live in what must be a very large cabin, because they each have a large bedroom with a bathroom, and then there's spare rooms too... but I digress.
Lyle (the twink) wakes up in the forest without any idea how he got there. He's not appropriately dressed for the cold and the snow, and soon nearly succumbs to the weather. Fortunately Gruff, the youngest of the brothers, comes across Lyle. Thinking the young man is dead, and having found so many others like him before, he cannot bear to leave him in the snow and carries him home, where to his and his brothers' surprise, the boy is not dead after all, just very very frozen. Obviously, skin to skin contact is the best option to warm up Lyle so Gruff strips the boy and himself, and into bed they go. Lyle wakes up super warm, with no idea where he is and how he got there, and his memories not quite clear.
And thus the story begins. Gruff is a Daddy, and Lyle will be his boy. Lyle is totally on board with this plan. I wondered for a bit if there might some Stockholm Syndrome at work here, but Gruff is kind and patient, and Lyle has autonomy and agency. There are some moments where Gruff's feelings get the better of him but those are immediately addressed and resolved.
It did feel a bit instalove to me, but that might be my issue more so than the book's. The plot follows the fairytale to some degree, and it also sets up subsequent books for at least one of the other brothers. There are zero women characters in the book, and only a mention of late parents, so presumably women do exist in this world but are apparently not involved in any form other than birthing children since none of them are required for the plot. All characters including supporting cast and side figures are male. I'm not sure why this was done, as it doesn't seem necessary for the plot to work.
I'm going to check out the series spinoff by this author.
Fairytale retellings can be tricky, especially when introducing modern surroundings and technology, but still trying to keep with the original tale. Here we have a retelling of Snow White and The 7 Dwarves in which we have a male Snow White, a twink to boot, and 7 brothers (all of them gay) who all live in what must be a very large cabin, because they each have a large bedroom with a bathroom, and then there's spare rooms too... but I digress.
Lyle (the twink) wakes up in the forest without any idea how he got there. He's not appropriately dressed for the cold and the snow, and soon nearly succumbs to the weather. Fortunately Gruff, the youngest of the brothers, comes across Lyle. Thinking the young man is dead, and having found so many others like him before, he cannot bear to leave him in the snow and carries him home, where to his and his brothers' surprise, the boy is not dead after all, just very very frozen. Obviously, skin to skin contact is the best option to warm up Lyle so Gruff strips the boy and himself, and into bed they go. Lyle wakes up super warm, with no idea where he is and how he got there, and his memories not quite clear.
And thus the story begins. Gruff is a Daddy, and Lyle will be his boy. Lyle is totally on board with this plan. I wondered for a bit if there might some Stockholm Syndrome at work here, but Gruff is kind and patient, and Lyle has autonomy and agency. There are some moments where Gruff's feelings get the better of him but those are immediately addressed and resolved.
It did feel a bit instalove to me, but that might be my issue more so than the book's. The plot follows the fairytale to some degree, and it also sets up subsequent books for at least one of the other brothers. There are zero women characters in the book, and only a mention of late parents, so presumably women do exist in this world but are apparently not involved in any form other than birthing children since none of them are required for the plot. All characters including supporting cast and side figures are male. I'm not sure why this was done, as it doesn't seem necessary for the plot to work.
I'm going to check out the series spinoff by this author.
February 23, 2023
Snow Twink is part of the ‘Beary Tales in the Woods’ series. It’s not labeled as the first book, but it does introduce all the Brenner brothers. I would say that this is the prequel to the series, so it would be something like Book 0.5. This story stars Gruff aka Greg Brenner, the youngest of the Brenner brothers, and Lyle, the found Snow Twink. It’s told in third person from both Gruff and Lyle’s povs.
3.5 Stars
First the cover. It looks like it’s been redone. The original cover model (guy with scruffy beard) wasn’t even close to Lyle’s appearance so I’m glad to see it’s been changed to the curly haired young man. This new cover model looks closer to the right age, but his eye color is incorrect. Lyle has brown eyes; the model has blue.
The blurb gives a good run-down of the plot so I won’t review it too much. The plot is based on Snow White and does a good job of implementing the aspects of that story in a new way. Lyle is the only one, that he knows of, to survive the evil CEO’s plan to ‘disappear’ young men when they turn eighteen. Lyle is saved by Gruff, who immediately falls for Lyle. This is a fairytale after all, and moves at a fast clip. The brothers all live together in the same huge house, and run a Christmas tree farm. They sometimes find dead bodies in their woods and think it’s tourists getting lost, but it’s probably due to the CEO who runs Kingdom Mountain Park, an amusement park. There’s evil happenings there and because Lyle survived being left in the freezing cold, the CEO is out to find him. The story continues as Lyle and Gruff get used to each other, the problems with the CEO and revelations of what Kingdom Mountain really is.
The author doesn’t go deeply into the characters, and that’s probably because this is a novella which was written for a collection. I would have liked it more if there was more character depth, but it was okay. The Daddy/boy aspect was mentioned, but the actual practice of the roles were only dealt with superficially. Gruff and Lyle had distinct personalities and seemed suited to each other. I’m interested in finding out about the other brothers and their partners. I’m hoping the author writes about the brother who likes the horses, I think his name was Harry. There was also a person at Kingdom Mountain who was kind to Lyle and managed the horses, I think his name was George, but he ended up disappearing. I’m hoping that maybe he managed to survive somehow and left the town, but comes back, and him and Gruff’s brother can become a pair. I love HEAs, but I suppose that is wishful thinking.
The problem I had with this story was there were a lot of grammatical errors. Missing words, and wrong words. Sentences that appeared in places that didn’t make any sense. I suggest if the author releases another edition, they at least get a beta to give a thorough read through for the issues I mentioned.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was a good re-telling of the Snow White fairytale. It should have been longer however to give the characters and story more depth, and there should’ve been more betas or a better proofer/editor checking this story over. I want to give this 3.5 Stars, but since I can’t, I’ll give it 4 Stars because it was a fun and quick read, and I’m interested in reading about the other brothers in the series.
3.5 Stars
First the cover. It looks like it’s been redone. The original cover model (guy with scruffy beard) wasn’t even close to Lyle’s appearance so I’m glad to see it’s been changed to the curly haired young man. This new cover model looks closer to the right age, but his eye color is incorrect. Lyle has brown eyes; the model has blue.
The blurb gives a good run-down of the plot so I won’t review it too much. The plot is based on Snow White and does a good job of implementing the aspects of that story in a new way. Lyle is the only one, that he knows of, to survive the evil CEO’s plan to ‘disappear’ young men when they turn eighteen. Lyle is saved by Gruff, who immediately falls for Lyle. This is a fairytale after all, and moves at a fast clip. The brothers all live together in the same huge house, and run a Christmas tree farm. They sometimes find dead bodies in their woods and think it’s tourists getting lost, but it’s probably due to the CEO who runs Kingdom Mountain Park, an amusement park. There’s evil happenings there and because Lyle survived being left in the freezing cold, the CEO is out to find him. The story continues as Lyle and Gruff get used to each other, the problems with the CEO and revelations of what Kingdom Mountain really is.
The author doesn’t go deeply into the characters, and that’s probably because this is a novella which was written for a collection. I would have liked it more if there was more character depth, but it was okay. The Daddy/boy aspect was mentioned, but the actual practice of the roles were only dealt with superficially. Gruff and Lyle had distinct personalities and seemed suited to each other. I’m interested in finding out about the other brothers and their partners. I’m hoping the author writes about the brother who likes the horses, I think his name was Harry. There was also a person at Kingdom Mountain who was kind to Lyle and managed the horses, I think his name was George, but he ended up disappearing. I’m hoping that maybe he managed to survive somehow and left the town, but comes back, and him and Gruff’s brother can become a pair. I love HEAs, but I suppose that is wishful thinking.
The problem I had with this story was there were a lot of grammatical errors. Missing words, and wrong words. Sentences that appeared in places that didn’t make any sense. I suggest if the author releases another edition, they at least get a beta to give a thorough read through for the issues I mentioned.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was a good re-telling of the Snow White fairytale. It should have been longer however to give the characters and story more depth, and there should’ve been more betas or a better proofer/editor checking this story over. I want to give this 3.5 Stars, but since I can’t, I’ll give it 4 Stars because it was a fun and quick read, and I’m interested in reading about the other brothers in the series.
November 14, 2020
This has an interesting twist on the Snow White fairytale - instead of a prince, there is one of seven brothers who rescues the lost and afraid beauty. I liked the premise of the book, and I think the concept and general approach is sound, engaging and had a lot of scope of an interesting exploration of a modern version of the tale.
However, Brown's execution left a lot to be desired for me - there were issues with the editing, and the ending was disappointing. Maybe this will spin into a series and loose ends will be picked up, but if not, then it's a bit unsatisfying. I found I struggled with the writing, and I wasn't engaged, finding myself scanning in frustration and slight boredom. It sometimes felt like the sex aspect drove the plot, and the age gap elements weren't as well handled as I think they needed to be to make me feel comfortable.
I was disappointed, as I'd really looked forward to this book, and indeed the entire series of modern fairy tales that it belongs to. I did receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review - clearly other people have really enjoyed this book, and by no means is it terrible. The ending let it down, and probably it just wasn't for me - I wanted it to capture and provide some element of the magic that fairytales create, and unfortunately found it to be a relatively average contemporary daddy kink book, so certainly some of my disappointment is probably on me.
However, Brown's execution left a lot to be desired for me - there were issues with the editing, and the ending was disappointing. Maybe this will spin into a series and loose ends will be picked up, but if not, then it's a bit unsatisfying. I found I struggled with the writing, and I wasn't engaged, finding myself scanning in frustration and slight boredom. It sometimes felt like the sex aspect drove the plot, and the age gap elements weren't as well handled as I think they needed to be to make me feel comfortable.
I was disappointed, as I'd really looked forward to this book, and indeed the entire series of modern fairy tales that it belongs to. I did receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review - clearly other people have really enjoyed this book, and by no means is it terrible. The ending let it down, and probably it just wasn't for me - I wanted it to capture and provide some element of the magic that fairytales create, and unfortunately found it to be a relatively average contemporary daddy kink book, so certainly some of my disappointment is probably on me.
November 19, 2020
I mean, are we going to get the other 6 Gay Daddy brothers' stories? Cuz I want them!
I was not expecting such a unique storyline to play out in a book called Snow Twink...but Sue Brown surprised the hell out of me! I liked how it wasn't the same story, but a legit twist on the fairy tale. Shocking revelations, a sweet, romantic daddy/boy relationship, a little bit of steam, and an exciting plot thoroughly kept me turning page after page.
I adored naive, traumatized Lyle and growly, possessive Gruff. All of the brothers were these big, bear-like mountain men with soft gooey hearts that made me giggle. Gruff was SUPER possessive of his boy and it was funny and sweet to witness. Lyle broke my heart. He came from a horrendous past and as the brothers learned more about him, the more pissed they all got.
I think my favorite part of this story was how Gruff treated Lyle. From the first moment he found him almost dead in the snowy forest, he took extra special care of him. He provided guidance, safety, and love to a boy (18 year old young man) who desperately needed it. Throw in the drama of where Lyle came from and some nerve-wracking action, add in a bit of steam, and put it all against a snowy backdrop and this could be a thrilling winter read for you!
November 10, 2021
Plucked half-frozen off a snowy mountainside, Lyle (18) recovers in the large and cozy cabin - and the equally large and cozy arms - of the Daddy bear who rescued him. Gruff (28) is the youngest of the seven tight-knit Brenner brothers, all of whom are Daddies and live together in a mountain cabin, and longs for a boy exactly like the one who literally falls at his feet.
Lyle is as sweet a boy as Daddy Gruff is indeed gruff, and their magnetic opposites-attract pull toward each other are what swoony insta-love stories are made of. Both have hearts of gold, and Gruff's growly protectiveness of his precious boy from the start is delicious and easily my favorite aspect of this hurt/comfort romance.
Having already read Book 2 in the "Bearytales in the Wood" series, I'd recommend reading "Snow Twink" first since the series builds upon an overarching rescue mission storyline, the seeds of which are planted in this prequel.
No trigger warnings are listed, but be aware this story contains mentions of past abuse (all off-page), which is also a major overarching plot point in the Bearytales in the Wood series. I received an e-copy of this book and have left this honest review voluntarily. (Also read in KU.)
Lyle is as sweet a boy as Daddy Gruff is indeed gruff, and their magnetic opposites-attract pull toward each other are what swoony insta-love stories are made of. Both have hearts of gold, and Gruff's growly protectiveness of his precious boy from the start is delicious and easily my favorite aspect of this hurt/comfort romance.
Having already read Book 2 in the "Bearytales in the Wood" series, I'd recommend reading "Snow Twink" first since the series builds upon an overarching rescue mission storyline, the seeds of which are planted in this prequel.
No trigger warnings are listed, but be aware this story contains mentions of past abuse (all off-page), which is also a major overarching plot point in the Bearytales in the Wood series. I received an e-copy of this book and have left this honest review voluntarily. (Also read in KU.)
November 20, 2020
This was a quick read, and very sweet. Gruff was so protective of Lyle from the get go. Their connection was instant, and neither man fought it. Not only was this story a retelling of a fairytale, it actually read like one. There wasn’t any magic, talking mirrors, or evil old ladies, but it was whimsical, and the seven dwarves had their representation as the seven giant, burly brothers. Their banter, and antics, was charming.
The romance, and heat level, bumped up a bunch of levels from the original fairytale. All 7 brothers were Daddies without boys. Gruff, being the youngest, found his first, instead of last. There’s no spoilers by saying that. What kind of fairytale doesn’t come with a HEA?
Overall I found this to be a cute story about finding love, safety, and a sense of family. Albeit with a bunch of knuckleheads. The characters were likable, minus the bad guys. It would be fun if we got to read about the six other brothers finding their own boys.
***I voluntarily accepted a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews. My review reflects my own thoughts and opinions***
The romance, and heat level, bumped up a bunch of levels from the original fairytale. All 7 brothers were Daddies without boys. Gruff, being the youngest, found his first, instead of last. There’s no spoilers by saying that. What kind of fairytale doesn’t come with a HEA?
Overall I found this to be a cute story about finding love, safety, and a sense of family. Albeit with a bunch of knuckleheads. The characters were likable, minus the bad guys. It would be fun if we got to read about the six other brothers finding their own boys.
***I voluntarily accepted a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews. My review reflects my own thoughts and opinions***
October 11, 2021
What this reader admires about the author, Sue Brown, is her ability to write for any genre and tell a story following the "accepted preset notions" of the genre, while building the plot as only she can do. Her characters are fully realized and her dialogue is simply told with details which gives the reader the ability to imagine each character with his or her own voice.
In this case, Snow Twink (sorry, Sue Brown, I hate the word Twink), the story is a retelling of the Snow White Fairy Tale while giving the story a male/male romance twist. Lyle is the twink. Gruff is the Daddy and, yes, Gruff (Greg) has six brothers whose stories need to be told.
Brown does not fail the reader and takes all the elements of the well known fairy tale, usually told in broad strokes, but in this case fully fleshes out the characters throughout the story with only one noticeable exception where this reader wished the character delivering the poisoned apple had been explored further. That said, the character does have the expected unattractive appearance and is the "required" briefly unpleasant. Otherwise, the complete story is not too long -- not too short -- it's just right.
In this case, Snow Twink (sorry, Sue Brown, I hate the word Twink), the story is a retelling of the Snow White Fairy Tale while giving the story a male/male romance twist. Lyle is the twink. Gruff is the Daddy and, yes, Gruff (Greg) has six brothers whose stories need to be told.
Brown does not fail the reader and takes all the elements of the well known fairy tale, usually told in broad strokes, but in this case fully fleshes out the characters throughout the story with only one noticeable exception where this reader wished the character delivering the poisoned apple had been explored further. That said, the character does have the expected unattractive appearance and is the "required" briefly unpleasant. Otherwise, the complete story is not too long -- not too short -- it's just right.
January 2, 2023
In the Kingdom Mountain theme park a young kitchen worker called Lyle dreams of being a boy to a Daddy who loves him but the evil CEO has other plans for him. He finds himself stumbling through the snowy night in a panic and falls unconscious as he runs out of energy to run. Gruff is built like a bear and has the heart of a Daddy but is the youngest and smallest of seven gay brothers who live together in the Kingdom Moutiain forest so the chances of him finding a boy or next to nothing, until one night he finds a boy close to death in the forest. Have they found each other in time?
This is a nice story as the start of a new series that gives a good high-level background as to how Lyle got to the theme park kitchens and how he was rescued. The amount of abuse and depravity was very saddening but there were a few gaps. I did find it strange that the sheriff was corrupt and yet it was so easy to get him arrested and help people without any mention of an outside organisation or office that could take control. Easy to read and understand. Contains mature MM content with a BDSM-like DDLB relationship.
This is a nice story as the start of a new series that gives a good high-level background as to how Lyle got to the theme park kitchens and how he was rescued. The amount of abuse and depravity was very saddening but there were a few gaps. I did find it strange that the sheriff was corrupt and yet it was so easy to get him arrested and help people without any mention of an outside organisation or office that could take control. Easy to read and understand. Contains mature MM content with a BDSM-like DDLB relationship.
December 11, 2020
I've never been a fan of fairy tales or Disney so I love a good adult style retelling and if it's MM stylee even better. This version of Snow White was fantastic with her being a hypothermic dark haired twink and her seven little men being strapping bear-size brothers living peacefully on the side of a mountain growing Christmas trees;
This is a retelling that Disney will not be rushing to make with it's up close and personal contact between the two main characters! They have great chemistry from the start and they both gain confidence throughout. There is a good storyline that progresses well and with good pace pulling the reader through the book making it a real page turner. By the end of the book you will be rooting for the good guys as in all the best books and films.
There are 'oh no' moments though and a few unanswered questions, but maybe there will be a follow up?
I loved this book, it was my first from Sue Brown but won't be my last.
I'm totally recommending this book to you today, but maybe be careful whose reading over your shoulder xx
This is a retelling that Disney will not be rushing to make with it's up close and personal contact between the two main characters! They have great chemistry from the start and they both gain confidence throughout. There is a good storyline that progresses well and with good pace pulling the reader through the book making it a real page turner. By the end of the book you will be rooting for the good guys as in all the best books and films.
There are 'oh no' moments though and a few unanswered questions, but maybe there will be a follow up?
I loved this book, it was my first from Sue Brown but won't be my last.
I'm totally recommending this book to you today, but maybe be careful whose reading over your shoulder xx
September 10, 2021
LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE
This is a wonderful tale along the lines of a Snow White Retelling, although it involves a Snow twink. Lyle was in the middle of being disappeared when Gruff found him. Gruff takes him back to the cabin he shares with his six brothers. The brothers make it their mission to save this frozen young man. What they learn about him and his existence enraged them. Keeping Lyle in Gruff's care is what makes this Book so wonderful. This is Book #2 in this Fairytale Romance Retelling Series that can all be read alone. Lyle and Gruff's story continues in BEARYTALES IN THE WOOD. I loved this Book it was about loving a boy who never had the chance to be loved. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS WONDERFUL BOOK!!!!!
This is a wonderful tale along the lines of a Snow White Retelling, although it involves a Snow twink. Lyle was in the middle of being disappeared when Gruff found him. Gruff takes him back to the cabin he shares with his six brothers. The brothers make it their mission to save this frozen young man. What they learn about him and his existence enraged them. Keeping Lyle in Gruff's care is what makes this Book so wonderful. This is Book #2 in this Fairytale Romance Retelling Series that can all be read alone. Lyle and Gruff's story continues in BEARYTALES IN THE WOOD. I loved this Book it was about loving a boy who never had the chance to be loved. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS WONDERFUL BOOK!!!!!
September 13, 2023
Snow White with an MM twist
This was a great introduction to this series. I enjoy finding all the MM fairytale retellings I can find and this one did not disappoint. Lyle was found almost dead in the woods by Gruff, one of seven brothers that live and work in the woods. It turns out all of the brothers are Daddies and that Lyle wasn't the first body they found in their woods, but he was the only one still alive. This leads to an exciting story of Lyle trying to remember who he is as he gets closer to Gruff. What they discover is almost to crazy to believe. This was a real page turner with interesting characters and an engaging plot. I'm excited to see how this series grows.
This was a great introduction to this series. I enjoy finding all the MM fairytale retellings I can find and this one did not disappoint. Lyle was found almost dead in the woods by Gruff, one of seven brothers that live and work in the woods. It turns out all of the brothers are Daddies and that Lyle wasn't the first body they found in their woods, but he was the only one still alive. This leads to an exciting story of Lyle trying to remember who he is as he gets closer to Gruff. What they discover is almost to crazy to believe. This was a real page turner with interesting characters and an engaging plot. I'm excited to see how this series grows.
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