"Kai is such a paradox. His feisty attitude mixed with a soft innocence. Even with what he has done in the past, and what he has to do here, it fai"Kai is such a paradox. His feisty attitude mixed with a soft innocence. Even with what he has done in the past, and what he has to do here, it fails to taint him. In my eyes at least. This is all so dangerous. Another side to me has awoken, and I can’t seem to shut that part of myself down. A need to have him."
"We are fire and drought, destined to consume and ruin. His tongue writes secrets across the inside of my mouth, scripts of longing that have no pl"We are fire and drought, destined to consume and ruin. His tongue writes secrets across the inside of my mouth, scripts of longing that have no place in our world. And I read them all, insatiable for the narrative that could destroy us both."
Dallas is book 2 in the Light & Shadow duet by the fabulous N.N. Britt and whilst it is predominantly Dallas' book, it is written in dual POV with chapters shared between Dallas and Isaac. Natalia writes so beautifully, and creates such wonderfully complex, layered, broken characters you just lose yourself in the continuation of the story.
Again, watch out for those tough, dark themes BUT I promise there's a HEA!
What To Expect:
❥ MM mafia/cop romance ❥ dual POV ❥ opposites attract ❥ steamy ❥ angsty ❥ first times ❥ found family ❥ HEA
"When I swing the door open, Isaac stands there. Again. He's all dark hair and extra-rich chocolate eyes framed by long lashes. A storm dressed as "When I swing the door open, Isaac stands there. Again. He's all dark hair and extra-rich chocolate eyes framed by long lashes. A storm dressed as a man. Black slacks, white shirt, wrist wrapped with a Rolex."
Isaac is book 1 in the Light & Shadow duet by the fabulous N.N. Britt and whilst it is predominantly Isaac's book, it is written in dual POV chapters shared between Isaac and Dallas. Natalia writes so beautifully, and creates such wonderfully complex, layered, broken characters you just lose yourself in the story. Watch out for some tough, dark themes. Thankfully book 2 in the duet Dallas is out on 26 September, so you don't have long to wait for their conclusion!
What To Expect:
❥ MM mafia/cop romance ❥ dual POV ❥ opposites attract ❥ dark themes ❥ slow burn ❥ steamy ❥ angsty ❥ first times ❥ found family ❥ duet (cliff hanger)
"Something about him drew me like a moth to a flame, which was only a problem because most of the time, he looked at me as if he couldn’t ever trus"Something about him drew me like a moth to a flame, which was only a problem because most of the time, he looked at me as if he couldn’t ever trust me, as if he didn’t even like me, when all I saw in him was safety. A place to lay down my head and rest, knowing that he’d have my back while I slept."
Kiss a Villain is book 1 in the No Mercy duet by debut author Mia Darling, and what a totally fabulous debut this was! I was sucked in from the very first chapter and inhaled the entire book over one (sleepless!) night. I totally adored our gorgeously innocent despite the horror, pining mafia prince Yarik, but my heart is still with that beautifully broken lonely Bratva boy, Kirill. So much angst!
"I likely should feel wary at being led along into the darkness and seclusion, out of the way of any passing eyes. Any other man would cause me no "I likely should feel wary at being led along into the darkness and seclusion, out of the way of any passing eyes. Any other man would cause me no alarm, but Hollow is a different breed. He sets something inside of me squirming and burning at the same time. I don’t like it. But I really, really, really do."
No Justice for the Damned by the fabulous Hellie Heat is a standalone MM romance, as part of the multi-author collaboration Tales from the Tarot. This book is based on the major arcana card Justice and it is Killian and Hollow's story.
Be aware that No Justice for the Damned does contain some very dark themes including child trafficking amongst more, so before you dive in you do need to check the author's warnings.
I absolutely adored Killian and Hollow, and their evolving relationship in the midst of so much evil and horror was just gorgeously written. The paranormal/magic element was beautifully woven into the story and there were some genuinely shocking moments. I loved it!
What To Expect:
❥MM romance ❥Dark themes ❥Dark fantasy/PNR ❥Enemies To Lovers ❥Slow-burn ❥All the spice ❥First times ❥HEA
No need to read any of the other books in the series first, or in any particular order, or at all, but definitely dive into No Justice for the Damned immediately!
"The world exploded into deafening silence as their lips touched. Thousands of threads had interwoven into their lives, some severed, some stitched"The world exploded into deafening silence as their lips touched. Thousands of threads had interwoven into their lives, some severed, some stitched tight, all of them carrying traces of memories of the years they’d spent in each other’s company."
"I’ll still be here. In everything around you, even when you feel nothing at all. I’ll be every star in the sky, watching over you. I’ll never be s"I’ll still be here. In everything around you, even when you feel nothing at all. I’ll be every star in the sky, watching over you. I’ll never be so far away that you can’t see me if you look. Just… wait for me."
Beyond Reason is the second book in the Beyond series by Lee McCormick, and whilst they are standalones in that they feature a new couple, they are better read in order because of the overlap in themes, timelines and the overarching story. This is Xavier and Axel's story.
"But Levi was… He was something different. I still couldn’t figure out what I felt about him, other than that I wanted. Usually wanting equated to "But Levi was… He was something different. I still couldn’t figure out what I felt about him, other than that I wanted. Usually wanting equated to killing, but that wasn’t right with him. The emotion didn’t fit, and the desire to satisfy that need wasn’t there. Which meant I wanted for another reason, and that had never happened before."
I really enjoyed Lee McCormick's previous MM dark romance books in the Beyond series and was really excited at the concept of their standalone serial killer/mortician dark romance Under Your Skin.
Under Your Skin had great potential and I enjoyed a lot of the book, but there were several plot holes that bothered me and the MCs weren't always consistent in their behaviours - which I guess you'd perhaps expect from a young mortician with horrific past trauma and a psychopath who kills because he can!
"She’s the most beautiful disaster I’ve ever seen, and my whole body aches to finish the work of her destruction, but I drag myself back from the b"She’s the most beautiful disaster I’ve ever seen, and my whole body aches to finish the work of her destruction, but I drag myself back from the brink and suck in a ragged breath."
Wristlocked: A Dark College Sports Romance is the debut novel from the fabulous AK Blythe and is the first in their Broken Boys of Cirque series. I am seriously hoping for many more to come if book 1 is anything to go on!
This is Gia, Lyot and Gale's story and whilst Gia is the bright light at the centre of the trio, Lyot and Gale have an equally turbulent, passionate, dark and twisted relationship together, as well as individually with Gia.
When they finally work out that it takes the three of them to make a whole, the spice turns up a whole extra level too!
What To Expect:
♥️ Dark romance ♥️ MMF, MM and MF interactions ♥️ Found family ♥️ Bi-awakening ♥️ Circus/aerial acrobat theme ♥️ Angsty ♥️ Extreme spice ♥️ Broken boys ♥️ Changing power imbalnace ♥️ Pain play ♥️ HEA
Take care to read the author's notes as there are some dark themes, but I absolutely loved it!
"He wasn’t my type. I usually liked guys closer in age to me— in their late twenties at the least— and I preferred them well built. Bloom was slend"He wasn’t my type. I usually liked guys closer in age to me— in their late twenties at the least— and I preferred them well built. Bloom was slender and too damn young. Not to mention, he took people’s lives while I worked to save them."
Bloom: Part One is the third book in Gianni Holmes's The Smoky Vale Alliance spin-off series, following the (often violent!) life and loves of the men in a MC club. This is Bloom and Logan's story.
"Gael had always been accused of being too reckless and daring. Maybe he’d forgotten that in these past months, but it was all coming back to him n"Gael had always been accused of being too reckless and daring. Maybe he’d forgotten that in these past months, but it was all coming back to him now when a thread of anticipation swept through him. What was the worst that could happen? He accepted the invitation."
Whilst Devil in the Details can be read and enjoyed as a standalone, I do highly recommend that you immediately download and devour Between the Devil and the Sea first, as Devil in the Details is a companion book of sorts with that one, featuring the ex-work partner of our MC, Gael Thiago.
Devil in the Details is an absolute rollercoaster of twisted delights, set in a complex, rich and exotic sci-fi world that Chani Lynn Feener has seamlessly and effortlessly created for our reading pleasure!
Gael is a Detective and a Sampson (a race who are well known for their free thinking around sexuality and sex in general), and is taking some time out from his IPF police work at the exclusive Moonward Manor, a club that caters to the dark and twisted.
Whilst Gael is there searching for answers about his ex-partner, Detective Shadow Yor, he meets the delicious Kai Laurier and they explore some of his darker k*nks together. When Gael receives an invitation from the mysterious Owner to a Murder Mystery weekend event, he decides to attend. Except the event turns out to be anything but harmless fun.....
Do check out the author's warnings as there are some dark themes, but you will absolutely inhale this if you love:
"Still, when he drew me up against him and I laid my head down on his chest, I realized the rhythm of his heart was a song I’d known my entire life"Still, when he drew me up against him and I laid my head down on his chest, I realized the rhythm of his heart was a song I’d known my entire life."
This from a girl who hates novellas....... Beyond Fate by Lee McCormick was the novella I never knew I needed but I had to have!
"I’ve never been addicted to anything before in my life, not until him."
I absolutely love the way Rylee Hale puts together a story and Far From Ca"I’ve never been addicted to anything before in my life, not until him."
I absolutely love the way Rylee Hale puts together a story and Far From Camelot is yet another exquisite lesson in story-telling. The character and world-building is divine, the plot weaves its spell on you from start to finish and the chemistry between Merlin and Mordred is palpable. I absolutely inhaled every word!
Far From Camelot is a contemporary fantasy re-telling of the Arthurian legend, set in New York city, 1000 years after the tragic events in Avalon, and featuring our two MCs, Merlin (aka the most powerful wizard in Camelot) and his mortal enemy, Mordred (King Arthur's son to the dark enchantress Morgan Le Fey).
Merlin is quietly living his life, basically magic-free, running a quaint little bookshop in NYC and Mordred is a low-key rockstar in a band, who just so happens to be playing in the city. Both are drowning in their memories of the past. Despite being immortal, the two haven't crossed paths in 1000 years, but that's all about to change.
Because Merlin needs to rediscover his magic and return to Camelot to save Arthur all over again. Whether he wants to or not.
And Mordred is going to be there, in person and in his dreams, to make sure he does just that. Whether they hate each other or not.
"I told Merlin I’d crawl under his skin, but it turns out he’s the one who crawled under mine and made a home there. How dare he make me addicted and then deny me my next fix."
"We’re like a lit match and lighter fluid, which is fine separately, but the second they come together, it creates a fire that spreads, burning eve"We’re like a lit match and lighter fluid, which is fine separately, but the second they come together, it creates a fire that spreads, burning everything in its path."
Painful Love is book 2 in the co-written Kings of Aces MM romance series by T. Ashleigh and Addison Beck, which is set in a small town, and focuses on a group of trailer park friends/gang/found family. This is Whaley and Bunky's story and it is way darker and grittier than Hateful Love, so consider yourself warned!
What to expect:
❥Dark themes ❥Age gap ❥Mine ❥Toxic ❥Hurt/comfort ❥Forbidden ❥Co-dependency ❥Blood play
I'm excited for book 3 now, Sinful Love, which I'm hoping will be Raid and Landon's story!...more
"I’d seen him in various stages of nakedness, but never like this, and why the fuck was my heart pounding? Noah King was everything I shouldn’t wan"I’d seen him in various stages of nakedness, but never like this, and why the fuck was my heart pounding? Noah King was everything I shouldn’t want, and everything I craved."
Ariana Nash is one of my one-click authors, so even though I don't like novellas, I will always read one of Ariana's! The King's Pawn is totally my genre and has all of my fave tropes, so it was always going to be a winner for me - would I have preferred it as a full-length novel well duh, yes, but will I mark it down a star because of my personal preference when I knew it was a novella going in - no!
This is Killian and Noah's story and I was totally here for it. And if Ms Nash writes a full-length version I will be inhaling that too!
What To Expect:
❥ MM mafia romance ❥ novella ❥ enemies to lovers ❥ bodyguard turned assassin ❥ forced proximity ❥ opposites attract ❥ age gap (not huge) ❥ ALL THE STEAM ❥ HFN
"I knew what it meant for you to be a part of my life, and a stronger man would have walked away. But I can’t, I won’t. I’ll tear this world apart "I knew what it meant for you to be a part of my life, and a stronger man would have walked away. But I can’t, I won’t. I’ll tear this world apart for you, I’ll burn it down."
While Stalked is essentially a standalone, it is highly recommended by the author Ryan Mundy to read it in conjunction with her Warpath series. It is book 1 in her The Deranged and follows on 15 years after Red Obsession This is Gabriel and Tobias' story. Unfortunately, I read Stalked as a standalone and I found myself confused about some of the back story, so don't make the same mistake I did!