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valerieullmerauthor's review
3.0
While I don't usually read taboo stories, when I do, I enjoy a more light hearted romp about discovery and the realization they can't live without the other. While Entwined was similar to what I expected, and it turned out to be my favorite story in the anthology, the other ones were darker and had an edge I don't truly like in romance stories.
ofbooksandromance's review
3.0
This anthology had me as soon as it said it was four taboo MM short stories, thats all I needed to know to pick it up. I love anything taboo so this one was right up my alley.
While I liked 3 stories in this anthology, there was one that just really didn’t work for me. If you’re going to read this anthology and even if you’re not, I would at least recommend the second story, which gave me the exact father and son fix I needed.
——————
Mutual Destruction by Abrianna Denae & Claire Marta
Rating: 2.25 stars
Taboo content: Twincest
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Ash was kidnapped for 5 years, he is found and reunited with his twin Kieran. The story starts 5 years after they are reunited. The twins are super codependent and do everything together for fears of being separated again. Ash is trying to break that cycle but Kieran doesn’t want that. One night they kiss and start exploring what it would be like if they were together
First, some parts of this story were really painful to read. As you would expect with it being about Ash who was kidnaped (and assaulted) for 5 years and his twin who dealt with him being gone for 5 years. They both had a lot of fears and nightmares because of that event and I loved how those were portrayed, they felt very realistic to me and I loved reading about it, even if it made me cry on multiple occasions, thats just a sign of how nicely the scenes were done, because they made me feel the emotions the characters were experiencing.
Second, the two characters were super codependent because they didn’t want to be separated again and I really enjoyed that part because it really helped me feel their bound and why they went well together. And I really liked how we got to see their connection change from twins to wanting to be with each other. Sometimes short stories don’t establish enough context that I can feel the bound between characters but I could really feel their connection because of this so I really appreciated it. This story is really obsessive and possesive but I enjoy that in books so it worked for me.
Third, this is the reason why my rating is low even if I quite enjoyed some scenes. Their first kiss was described as something closer to assault than romance and a lot of Ash’s actions during the first sex scene felt more like dub con to me, because Ash kept pushing Kieran to do things he said he wasn’t ready for, and he ended up enjoying them but he didn’t seem to really want those things in the first place. Plus the story kept puting those moments beside flashbacks of when Ash’s kidnaper did the same to him and forced him into having sex. Which made me feel like Ash was doing to Kieran what his kidnaper did to him. Given how good this short story was about showing how it is to be kidnapped and assaulted, those moments just felt very jaring to me and pulled me out of the story a little. I understand that the writers wanted to show this as more of a BDSM relationship but it didn’t feel consensual enough to be that for me. I think that could have been fixed if the story was longer, so that the story could establish the power dynamic between them better, but as it was it just felt like Ash was in a position of power and Kieran did everything for him, even if it was things he didn’t want to do.
Also they never used condoms or discussed not using them so that really pulled me out of the sex scene for a little while.
But I still enjoyed this one. It was really sweet through the painful moments and I loved Kieran, he was such a sweetheart. It just this one felt like it should have been a longer book, I probably would have enjoyed it much more if it was.
——————
When Fantasies Collide by Elouise East
Rating: 4 stars
Taboo content: Father and son
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Adrian visits a club that allows you to engage into the role playing sexual fantasy of your choice, he choses the father and son fantasy. Adrian has been dreaming about his own son Rhys for months and the club and the role playing is his way of living out those fantasies. But surprise surprise, Rhys is the one who shows up to role play the fantasies with Adrian. They decide to engage in some father and son sex scene that is everything but role play. And even if they try to stop their attraction, they just cannot and they fall in love.
This one was probably always going to be my favorite since because I really like the taboo nature of father and son more than the other pairings in the story.
First, this story had the dad separated from his wife so there was no cheating and the father and the son both had been pining for the other for a long time, which is two things I absolutely adored about this. I loved how they had been pining for each other for so long, it really made me feel like they belonged together, even if this was a short story, it built up the couple in a lovely way.
Second, Adrian had a lot of shame about wanting to be with his son and those really coloured his actions and I really enjoyed it. I like reading about his shame while still wanting to do it and engaging in the act itself, it was a good mix and gave me a really lovely reading experience. This story had the perfect mix of we cannot do the taboo thing, to them wanting to do the taboo thing to them actually doing the taboo thing. This book had a really nice mix of angst and less angsty moments and it balanced itself really well for me. And it felt so rewarding when they got together after having both thought how they couldn’t be together.
Third, Goddam was this hot. This entire story was sizzingly hot and their chemistry was so hot it was coming off the page. I really loved the sex scenes in this book. And special mention to them calling each dad and son in bed, it really hightened the taboo experience for me.
Fourth, I was absolutely loving this story and then there was a random person blackmailling them with of a video of them being together. Turns out that person is Rhys’s bestfriend’s boyfriend who apparently was evil … which really came out of nowhere and made no sense to me. It just added unecessary drama that the story didn’t really need.
This was the exact (random blackmailer aside) slice of taboo I was looking for in this anthology and tickled all of my boxes.
——————
Entwined by N.J. Lysk
Rating: 1 star
Taboo content: Triplets but only two of them get together
Ending: Unclear but one of them ends up with a girlfriend and it’s not an HEA because they the main characters do not end up together
Blurb:Jayden and Jude happen to watch porn together and they masturbate together at the action on screen. They continue that for a while but then they realize that they cannot be together so they break up.
Trigger Warnings:This story includes cheating, an unhappy and unclear ending and graphic MF sex scenes.
I’m sorry story, it’s just that you include my biggest trigger and that there was no trigger warnings for it. If you’re going to include cheating in your story, can you please put a trigger warning, I really would have appreciated it. Because reading this story felt like a punch to the guts, I was crusing along than got surprised by cheating. I would have liked to have a trigger warning so I could have skipped the story, instead of reading content that almost gave me a mental breakdown as I was reading it.
Also this story had a tone I didn’t enjoy. It was in an anthology about celebrating taboo but was all about how the main characters being together is wrong because it’s taboo and they do not end up together because of that. It’s a fine narrative but it being a taboo story that preached about how taboo is wrong felt very jaring compared to the other stories in the anthology.
The blurb of this story makes it sound like it will be MMM when it’s really not and is just MM between two of the triplets which was a little dissapointing to me because I really thought I was getting a story with the triplets together. We do get to see the other triplet but he’s always just sulking and on his own, he doesn’t take part in any of the taboo things.
This story just felt really unfinished and like it was the first 20% of a novel instead of a complete standalone story.
——————
His Brother’s Brat by T.M. Chris
Rating: 3.5 stars
Taboo content: Uncle and nephew
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Simon hasn’t seen his nephew Kael in 10 years because Kael’s dad is homophobic and didn’t want Simon who is gay to hang around his son. Kael calls Simon because Kael’s dad threw him out of his house because he’s been stealing and breaking and entering into places. Simon lets Kael stay with him. Simon takes the job of offering guidance to Kael and stop his rebelling and he does it by becoming Kael’s surrogate daddy and later on his boyfriend.
First, I loved Simon. He was so good and such a good figuring for Kael. I loved how he lead by example and showed Simon how things should be done and how he guided him through everything. He was such a good guy and he was the exact kind of figure Kael needed. He was in need of guidance and needed someone to show him how to a better person and Simon did exactly that for him. Simon was stern but also super sweet and loving, he was such a good mix and a lovely character. Also, I loved how Simon was super accepting of Kael and liked him how he was.
Second, I really liked how their relationship developed from them being only uncle and nephew to them being attracted to the other and wanting to be together. I liked how they both felt instant attraction to the other. These two were really into each other and pining for the other and it really worked for me.
And extra bonus points for them getting off on the nephew calling Simon uncle Simon, I adored that and it was so hot.
Third, this sex scene we got in this story was damn hot, there was only one sex scene but it was long and really fucking hot, I loved it, very much.
Fourth, there was a little too much outside interference for me. I would have liked the main characters to have less contact with people from outside their relationship, I just felt like it took away from their time together.
Fifth, I would have prefered if this one was a little longer. I loved their dynamic but they got together right before the story ended and I would have prefered to see more of them being together.
This one is definitely my second favorite story in the anthology and I really enjoyed it and I would take a full book of this any day.
——————
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
While I liked 3 stories in this anthology, there was one that just really didn’t work for me. If you’re going to read this anthology and even if you’re not, I would at least recommend the second story, which gave me the exact father and son fix I needed.
——————
Mutual Destruction by Abrianna Denae & Claire Marta
Rating: 2.25 stars
Taboo content: Twincest
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Ash was kidnapped for 5 years, he is found and reunited with his twin Kieran. The story starts 5 years after they are reunited. The twins are super codependent and do everything together for fears of being separated again. Ash is trying to break that cycle but Kieran doesn’t want that. One night they kiss and start exploring what it would be like if they were together
First, some parts of this story were really painful to read. As you would expect with it being about Ash who was kidnaped (and assaulted) for 5 years and his twin who dealt with him being gone for 5 years. They both had a lot of fears and nightmares because of that event and I loved how those were portrayed, they felt very realistic to me and I loved reading about it, even if it made me cry on multiple occasions, thats just a sign of how nicely the scenes were done, because they made me feel the emotions the characters were experiencing.
Second, the two characters were super codependent because they didn’t want to be separated again and I really enjoyed that part because it really helped me feel their bound and why they went well together. And I really liked how we got to see their connection change from twins to wanting to be with each other. Sometimes short stories don’t establish enough context that I can feel the bound between characters but I could really feel their connection because of this so I really appreciated it. This story is really obsessive and possesive but I enjoy that in books so it worked for me.
Third, this is the reason why my rating is low even if I quite enjoyed some scenes. Their first kiss was described as something closer to assault than romance and a lot of Ash’s actions during the first sex scene felt more like dub con to me, because Ash kept pushing Kieran to do things he said he wasn’t ready for, and he ended up enjoying them but he didn’t seem to really want those things in the first place. Plus the story kept puting those moments beside flashbacks of when Ash’s kidnaper did the same to him and forced him into having sex. Which made me feel like Ash was doing to Kieran what his kidnaper did to him. Given how good this short story was about showing how it is to be kidnapped and assaulted, those moments just felt very jaring to me and pulled me out of the story a little. I understand that the writers wanted to show this as more of a BDSM relationship but it didn’t feel consensual enough to be that for me. I think that could have been fixed if the story was longer, so that the story could establish the power dynamic between them better, but as it was it just felt like Ash was in a position of power and Kieran did everything for him, even if it was things he didn’t want to do.
Also they never used condoms or discussed not using them so that really pulled me out of the sex scene for a little while.
But I still enjoyed this one. It was really sweet through the painful moments and I loved Kieran, he was such a sweetheart. It just this one felt like it should have been a longer book, I probably would have enjoyed it much more if it was.
——————
When Fantasies Collide by Elouise East
Rating: 4 stars
Taboo content: Father and son
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Adrian visits a club that allows you to engage into the role playing sexual fantasy of your choice, he choses the father and son fantasy. Adrian has been dreaming about his own son Rhys for months and the club and the role playing is his way of living out those fantasies. But surprise surprise, Rhys is the one who shows up to role play the fantasies with Adrian. They decide to engage in some father and son sex scene that is everything but role play. And even if they try to stop their attraction, they just cannot and they fall in love.
This one was probably always going to be my favorite since because I really like the taboo nature of father and son more than the other pairings in the story.
First, this story had the dad separated from his wife so there was no cheating and the father and the son both had been pining for the other for a long time, which is two things I absolutely adored about this. I loved how they had been pining for each other for so long, it really made me feel like they belonged together, even if this was a short story, it built up the couple in a lovely way.
Second, Adrian had a lot of shame about wanting to be with his son and those really coloured his actions and I really enjoyed it. I like reading about his shame while still wanting to do it and engaging in the act itself, it was a good mix and gave me a really lovely reading experience. This story had the perfect mix of we cannot do the taboo thing, to them wanting to do the taboo thing to them actually doing the taboo thing. This book had a really nice mix of angst and less angsty moments and it balanced itself really well for me. And it felt so rewarding when they got together after having both thought how they couldn’t be together.
Third, Goddam was this hot. This entire story was sizzingly hot and their chemistry was so hot it was coming off the page. I really loved the sex scenes in this book. And special mention to them calling each dad and son in bed, it really hightened the taboo experience for me.
Fourth, I was absolutely loving this story and then there was a random person blackmailling them with of a video of them being together. Turns out that person is Rhys’s bestfriend’s boyfriend who apparently was evil … which really came out of nowhere and made no sense to me. It just added unecessary drama that the story didn’t really need.
This was the exact (random blackmailer aside) slice of taboo I was looking for in this anthology and tickled all of my boxes.
——————
Entwined by N.J. Lysk
Rating: 1 star
Taboo content: Triplets but only two of them get together
Ending: Unclear but one of them ends up with a girlfriend and it’s not an HEA because they the main characters do not end up together
Blurb:Jayden and Jude happen to watch porn together and they masturbate together at the action on screen. They continue that for a while but then they realize that they cannot be together so they break up.
Trigger Warnings:This story includes cheating, an unhappy and unclear ending and graphic MF sex scenes.
I’m sorry story, it’s just that you include my biggest trigger and that there was no trigger warnings for it. If you’re going to include cheating in your story, can you please put a trigger warning, I really would have appreciated it. Because reading this story felt like a punch to the guts, I was crusing along than got surprised by cheating. I would have liked to have a trigger warning so I could have skipped the story, instead of reading content that almost gave me a mental breakdown as I was reading it.
Also this story had a tone I didn’t enjoy. It was in an anthology about celebrating taboo but was all about how the main characters being together is wrong because it’s taboo and they do not end up together because of that. It’s a fine narrative but it being a taboo story that preached about how taboo is wrong felt very jaring compared to the other stories in the anthology.
The blurb of this story makes it sound like it will be MMM when it’s really not and is just MM between two of the triplets which was a little dissapointing to me because I really thought I was getting a story with the triplets together. We do get to see the other triplet but he’s always just sulking and on his own, he doesn’t take part in any of the taboo things.
This story just felt really unfinished and like it was the first 20% of a novel instead of a complete standalone story.
——————
His Brother’s Brat by T.M. Chris
Rating: 3.5 stars
Taboo content: Uncle and nephew
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Simon hasn’t seen his nephew Kael in 10 years because Kael’s dad is homophobic and didn’t want Simon who is gay to hang around his son. Kael calls Simon because Kael’s dad threw him out of his house because he’s been stealing and breaking and entering into places. Simon lets Kael stay with him. Simon takes the job of offering guidance to Kael and stop his rebelling and he does it by becoming Kael’s surrogate daddy and later on his boyfriend.
First, I loved Simon. He was so good and such a good figuring for Kael. I loved how he lead by example and showed Simon how things should be done and how he guided him through everything. He was such a good guy and he was the exact kind of figure Kael needed. He was in need of guidance and needed someone to show him how to a better person and Simon did exactly that for him. Simon was stern but also super sweet and loving, he was such a good mix and a lovely character. Also, I loved how Simon was super accepting of Kael and liked him how he was.
Second, I really liked how their relationship developed from them being only uncle and nephew to them being attracted to the other and wanting to be together. I liked how they both felt instant attraction to the other. These two were really into each other and pining for the other and it really worked for me.
And extra bonus points for them getting off on the nephew calling Simon uncle Simon, I adored that and it was so hot.
Third, this sex scene we got in this story was damn hot, there was only one sex scene but it was long and really fucking hot, I loved it, very much.
Fourth, there was a little too much outside interference for me. I would have liked the main characters to have less contact with people from outside their relationship, I just felt like it took away from their time together.
Fifth, I would have prefered if this one was a little longer. I loved their dynamic but they got together right before the story ended and I would have prefered to see more of them being together.
This one is definitely my second favorite story in the anthology and I really enjoyed it and I would take a full book of this any day.
——————
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
reedkaye's review
5.0
This is four different stories and each author was one I either already follow or would love to read more. I have to thank Gay Book Promotions for giving me a chance to read this.
Mutual Destruction
This story is about twins that are closely tied. They have circumstances that separate them and when they get back together so much comes out about that separation time. This is a very intense story but I felt it really didn’t end rather is a stop at this point. I hope this author will add to this.
When Fantasies Collide
This story started out with a surprise. This takes two guys in a totally unexpected direction. Both have had fantasies but never expected to see them happen. This is really a heartwarming story.
Entwined
This story drew me in and I was so anxious to see where it would take the family. I enjoyed there being multi main characters. I felt the character development is great. I was really into the story when it ends on a sort of cliffhanger. I can’t find anything that says where the author plans on writing this into a series or even finishes this story but I’d love to know where Jayden, Judy and Nathaniel end up.
His Brother’s Brat
This is the author I currently follow. No one can put together stories like this author. This takes a totally dysfunctional family and resolves so much. It is warm hearted and made me really like the mc’s. As usual this author gives great background on where the characters come from and why they do what they do. This is one author I highly recommend following.
Mutual Destruction
This story is about twins that are closely tied. They have circumstances that separate them and when they get back together so much comes out about that separation time. This is a very intense story but I felt it really didn’t end rather is a stop at this point. I hope this author will add to this.
When Fantasies Collide
This story started out with a surprise. This takes two guys in a totally unexpected direction. Both have had fantasies but never expected to see them happen. This is really a heartwarming story.
Entwined
This story drew me in and I was so anxious to see where it would take the family. I enjoyed there being multi main characters. I felt the character development is great. I was really into the story when it ends on a sort of cliffhanger. I can’t find anything that says where the author plans on writing this into a series or even finishes this story but I’d love to know where Jayden, Judy and Nathaniel end up.
His Brother’s Brat
This is the author I currently follow. No one can put together stories like this author. This takes a totally dysfunctional family and resolves so much. It is warm hearted and made me really like the mc’s. As usual this author gives great background on where the characters come from and why they do what they do. This is one author I highly recommend following.
redsbookreads's review
3.0
This collection of 4 taboo romances was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were a couple of stories that I enjoyed and some that just didn’t work for me. The stories did feel a little too short for me and I would have liked for them to have been longer and more developed as they felt a little rushed.
If you like a short and dirty taboo read then these will hit the spot though
If you like a short and dirty taboo read then these will hit the spot though
snakeyghost's review
3.0
This anthology had me as soon as it said it was four taboo MM short stories, thats all I needed to know to pick it up. I love anything taboo so this one was right up my alley.
While I liked 3 stories in this anthology, there was one that just really didn’t work for me. If you’re going to read this anthology and even if you’re not, I would at least recommend the second story, which gave me the exact father and son fix I needed.
——————
Mutual Destruction by Abrianna Denae & Claire Marta
Rating: 2.25 stars
Taboo content: Twincest
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Ash was kidnapped for 5 years, he is found and reunited with his twin Kieran. The story starts 5 years after they are reunited. The twins are super codependent and do everything together for fears of being separated again. Ash is trying to break that cycle but Kieran doesn’t want that. One night they kiss and start exploring what it would be like if they were together
First, some parts of this story were really painful to read. As you would expect with it being about Ash who was kidnaped (and assaulted) for 5 years and his twin who dealt with him being gone for 5 years. They both had a lot of fears and nightmares because of that event and I loved how those were portrayed, they felt very realistic to me and I loved reading about it, even if it made me cry on multiple occasions, thats just a sign of how nicely the scenes were done, because they made me feel the emotions the characters were experiencing.
Second, the two characters were super codependent because they didn’t want to be separated again and I really enjoyed that part because it really helped me feel their bound and why they went well together. And I really liked how we got to see their connection change from twins to wanting to be with each other. Sometimes short stories don’t establish enough context that I can feel the bound between characters but I could really feel their connection because of this so I really appreciated it. This story is really obsessive and possesive but I enjoy that in books so it worked for me.
Third, this is the reason why my rating is low even if I quite enjoyed some scenes. Their first kiss was described as something closer to assault than romance and a lot of Ash’s actions during the first sex scene felt more like dub con to me, because Ash kept pushing Kieran to do things he said he wasn’t ready for, and he ended up enjoying them but he didn’t seem to really want those things in the first place. Plus the story kept puting those moments beside flashbacks of when Ash’s kidnaper did the same to him and forced him into having sex. Which made me feel like Ash was doing to Kieran what his kidnaper did to him. Given how good this short story was about showing how it is to be kidnapped and assaulted, those moments just felt very jaring to me and pulled me out of the story a little. I understand that the writers wanted to show this as more of a BDSM relationship but it didn’t feel consensual enough to be that for me. I think that could have been fixed if the story was longer, so that the story could establish the power dynamic between them better, but as it was it just felt like Ash was in a position of power and Kieran did everything for him, even if it was things he didn’t want to do.
Also they never used condoms or discussed not using them so that really pulled me out of the sex scene for a little while.
But I still enjoyed this one. It was really sweet through the painful moments and I loved Kieran, he was such a sweetheart. It just this one felt like it should have been a longer book, I probably would have enjoyed it much more if it was.
——————
When Fantasies Collide by Elouise East
Rating: 4 stars
Taboo content: Father and son
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Adrian visits a club that allows you to engage into the role playing sexual fantasy of your choice, he choses the father and son fantasy. Adrian has been dreaming about his own son Rhys for months and the club and the role playing is his way of living out those fantasies. But surprise surprise, Rhys is the one who shows up to role play the fantasies with Adrian. They decide to engage in some father and son sex scene that is everything but role play. And even if they try to stop their attraction, they just cannot and they fall in love.
This one was probably always going to be my favorite since because I really like the taboo nature of father and son more than the other pairings in the story.
First, this story had the dad separated from his wife so there was no cheating and the father and the son both had been pining for the other for a long time, which is two things I absolutely adored about this. I loved how they had been pining for each other for so long, it really made me feel like they belonged together, even if this was a short story, it built up the couple in a lovely way.
Second, Adrian had a lot of shame about wanting to be with his son and those really coloured his actions and I really enjoyed it. I like reading about his shame while still wanting to do it and engaging in the act itself, it was a good mix and gave me a really lovely reading experience. This story had the perfect mix of we cannot do the taboo thing, to them wanting to do the taboo thing to them actually doing the taboo thing. This book had a really nice mix of angst and less angsty moments and it balanced itself really well for me. And it felt so rewarding when they got together after having both thought how they couldn’t be together.
Third, Goddam was this hot. This entire story was sizzingly hot and their chemistry was so hot it was coming off the page. I really loved the sex scenes in this book. And special mention to them calling each dad and son in bed, it really hightened the taboo experience for me.
Fourth, I was absolutely loving this story and then there was a random person blackmailling them with of a video of them being together. Turns out that person is Rhys’s bestfriend’s boyfriend who apparently was evil … which really came out of nowhere and made no sense to me. It just added unecessary drama that the story didn’t really need.
This was the exact (random blackmailer aside) slice of taboo I was looking for in this anthology and tickled all of my boxes.
——————
Entwined by N.J. Lysk
Rating: 1 star
Taboo content: Triplets but only two of them get together
Ending: Unclear but one of them ends up with a girlfriend and it’s not an HEA because they the main characters do not end up together
Blurb:Jayden and Jude happen to watch porn together and they masturbate together at the action on screen. They continue that for a while but then they realize that they cannot be together so they break up.
Trigger Warnings:This story includes cheating, an unhappy and unclear ending and graphic MF sex scenes.
I’m sorry story, it’s just that you include my biggest trigger and that there was no trigger warnings for it. If you’re going to include cheating in your story, can you please put a trigger warning, I really would have appreciated it. Because reading this story felt like a punch to the guts, I was crusing along than got surprised by cheating. I would have liked to have a trigger warning so I could have skipped the story, instead of reading content that almost gave me a mental breakdown as I was reading it.
Also this story had a tone I didn’t enjoy. It was in an anthology about celebrating taboo but was all about how the main characters being together is wrong because it’s taboo and they do not end up together because of that. It’s a fine narrative but it being a taboo story that preached about how taboo is wrong felt very jaring compared to the other stories in the anthology.
The blurb of this story makes it sound like it will be MMM when it’s really not and is just MM between two of the triplets which was a little dissapointing to me because I really thought I was getting a story with the triplets together. We do get to see the other triplet but he’s always just sulking and on his own, he doesn’t take part in any of the taboo things.
This story just felt really unfinished and like it was the first 20% of a novel instead of a complete standalone story.
——————
His Brother’s Brat by T.M. Chris
Rating: 3.5 stars
Taboo content: Uncle and nephew
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Simon hasn’t seen his nephew Kael in 10 years because Kael’s dad is homophobic and didn’t want Simon who is gay to hang around his son. Kael calls Simon because Kael’s dad threw him out of his house because he’s been stealing and breaking and entering into places. Simon lets Kael stay with him. Simon takes the job of offering guidance to Kael and stop his rebelling and he does it by becoming Kael’s surrogate daddy and later on his boyfriend.
First, I loved Simon. He was so good and such a good figuring for Kael. I loved how he lead by example and showed Simon how things should be done and how he guided him through everything. He was such a good guy and he was the exact kind of figure Kael needed. He was in need of guidance and needed someone to show him how to a better person and Simon did exactly that for him. Simon was stern but also super sweet and loving, he was such a good mix and a lovely character. Also, I loved how Simon was super accepting of Kael and liked him how he was.
Second, I really liked how their relationship developed from them being only uncle and nephew to them being attracted to the other and wanting to be together. I liked how they both felt instant attraction to the other. These two were really into each other and pining for the other and it really worked for me.
And extra bonus points for them getting off on the nephew calling Simon uncle Simon, I adored that and it was so hot.
Third, this sex scene we got in this story was damn hot, there was only one sex scene but it was long and really fucking hot, I loved it, very much.
Fourth, there was a little too much outside interference for me. I would have liked the main characters to have less contact with people from outside their relationship, I just felt like it took away from their time together.
Fifth, I would have prefered if this one was a little longer. I loved their dynamic but they got together right before the story ended and I would have prefered to see more of them being together.
This one is definitely my second favorite story in the anthology and I really enjoyed it and I would take a full book of this any day.
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I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
While I liked 3 stories in this anthology, there was one that just really didn’t work for me. If you’re going to read this anthology and even if you’re not, I would at least recommend the second story, which gave me the exact father and son fix I needed.
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Mutual Destruction by Abrianna Denae & Claire Marta
Rating: 2.25 stars
Taboo content: Twincest
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Ash was kidnapped for 5 years, he is found and reunited with his twin Kieran. The story starts 5 years after they are reunited. The twins are super codependent and do everything together for fears of being separated again. Ash is trying to break that cycle but Kieran doesn’t want that. One night they kiss and start exploring what it would be like if they were together
First, some parts of this story were really painful to read. As you would expect with it being about Ash who was kidnaped (and assaulted) for 5 years and his twin who dealt with him being gone for 5 years. They both had a lot of fears and nightmares because of that event and I loved how those were portrayed, they felt very realistic to me and I loved reading about it, even if it made me cry on multiple occasions, thats just a sign of how nicely the scenes were done, because they made me feel the emotions the characters were experiencing.
Second, the two characters were super codependent because they didn’t want to be separated again and I really enjoyed that part because it really helped me feel their bound and why they went well together. And I really liked how we got to see their connection change from twins to wanting to be with each other. Sometimes short stories don’t establish enough context that I can feel the bound between characters but I could really feel their connection because of this so I really appreciated it. This story is really obsessive and possesive but I enjoy that in books so it worked for me.
Third, this is the reason why my rating is low even if I quite enjoyed some scenes. Their first kiss was described as something closer to assault than romance and a lot of Ash’s actions during the first sex scene felt more like dub con to me, because Ash kept pushing Kieran to do things he said he wasn’t ready for, and he ended up enjoying them but he didn’t seem to really want those things in the first place. Plus the story kept puting those moments beside flashbacks of when Ash’s kidnaper did the same to him and forced him into having sex. Which made me feel like Ash was doing to Kieran what his kidnaper did to him. Given how good this short story was about showing how it is to be kidnapped and assaulted, those moments just felt very jaring to me and pulled me out of the story a little. I understand that the writers wanted to show this as more of a BDSM relationship but it didn’t feel consensual enough to be that for me. I think that could have been fixed if the story was longer, so that the story could establish the power dynamic between them better, but as it was it just felt like Ash was in a position of power and Kieran did everything for him, even if it was things he didn’t want to do.
Also they never used condoms or discussed not using them so that really pulled me out of the sex scene for a little while.
But I still enjoyed this one. It was really sweet through the painful moments and I loved Kieran, he was such a sweetheart. It just this one felt like it should have been a longer book, I probably would have enjoyed it much more if it was.
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When Fantasies Collide by Elouise East
Rating: 4 stars
Taboo content: Father and son
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Adrian visits a club that allows you to engage into the role playing sexual fantasy of your choice, he choses the father and son fantasy. Adrian has been dreaming about his own son Rhys for months and the club and the role playing is his way of living out those fantasies. But surprise surprise, Rhys is the one who shows up to role play the fantasies with Adrian. They decide to engage in some father and son sex scene that is everything but role play. And even if they try to stop their attraction, they just cannot and they fall in love.
This one was probably always going to be my favorite since because I really like the taboo nature of father and son more than the other pairings in the story.
First, this story had the dad separated from his wife so there was no cheating and the father and the son both had been pining for the other for a long time, which is two things I absolutely adored about this. I loved how they had been pining for each other for so long, it really made me feel like they belonged together, even if this was a short story, it built up the couple in a lovely way.
Second, Adrian had a lot of shame about wanting to be with his son and those really coloured his actions and I really enjoyed it. I like reading about his shame while still wanting to do it and engaging in the act itself, it was a good mix and gave me a really lovely reading experience. This story had the perfect mix of we cannot do the taboo thing, to them wanting to do the taboo thing to them actually doing the taboo thing. This book had a really nice mix of angst and less angsty moments and it balanced itself really well for me. And it felt so rewarding when they got together after having both thought how they couldn’t be together.
Third, Goddam was this hot. This entire story was sizzingly hot and their chemistry was so hot it was coming off the page. I really loved the sex scenes in this book. And special mention to them calling each dad and son in bed, it really hightened the taboo experience for me.
Fourth, I was absolutely loving this story and then there was a random person blackmailling them with of a video of them being together. Turns out that person is Rhys’s bestfriend’s boyfriend who apparently was evil … which really came out of nowhere and made no sense to me. It just added unecessary drama that the story didn’t really need.
This was the exact (random blackmailer aside) slice of taboo I was looking for in this anthology and tickled all of my boxes.
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Entwined by N.J. Lysk
Rating: 1 star
Taboo content: Triplets but only two of them get together
Ending: Unclear but one of them ends up with a girlfriend and it’s not an HEA because they the main characters do not end up together
Blurb:Jayden and Jude happen to watch porn together and they masturbate together at the action on screen. They continue that for a while but then they realize that they cannot be together so they break up.
Trigger Warnings:This story includes cheating, an unhappy and unclear ending and graphic MF sex scenes.
I’m sorry story, it’s just that you include my biggest trigger and that there was no trigger warnings for it. If you’re going to include cheating in your story, can you please put a trigger warning, I really would have appreciated it. Because reading this story felt like a punch to the guts, I was crusing along than got surprised by cheating. I would have liked to have a trigger warning so I could have skipped the story, instead of reading content that almost gave me a mental breakdown as I was reading it.
Also this story had a tone I didn’t enjoy. It was in an anthology about celebrating taboo but was all about how the main characters being together is wrong because it’s taboo and they do not end up together because of that. It’s a fine narrative but it being a taboo story that preached about how taboo is wrong felt very jaring compared to the other stories in the anthology.
The blurb of this story makes it sound like it will be MMM when it’s really not and is just MM between two of the triplets which was a little dissapointing to me because I really thought I was getting a story with the triplets together. We do get to see the other triplet but he’s always just sulking and on his own, he doesn’t take part in any of the taboo things.
This story just felt really unfinished and like it was the first 20% of a novel instead of a complete standalone story.
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His Brother’s Brat by T.M. Chris
Rating: 3.5 stars
Taboo content: Uncle and nephew
Ending: HEA
Blurb: Simon hasn’t seen his nephew Kael in 10 years because Kael’s dad is homophobic and didn’t want Simon who is gay to hang around his son. Kael calls Simon because Kael’s dad threw him out of his house because he’s been stealing and breaking and entering into places. Simon lets Kael stay with him. Simon takes the job of offering guidance to Kael and stop his rebelling and he does it by becoming Kael’s surrogate daddy and later on his boyfriend.
First, I loved Simon. He was so good and such a good figuring for Kael. I loved how he lead by example and showed Simon how things should be done and how he guided him through everything. He was such a good guy and he was the exact kind of figure Kael needed. He was in need of guidance and needed someone to show him how to a better person and Simon did exactly that for him. Simon was stern but also super sweet and loving, he was such a good mix and a lovely character. Also, I loved how Simon was super accepting of Kael and liked him how he was.
Second, I really liked how their relationship developed from them being only uncle and nephew to them being attracted to the other and wanting to be together. I liked how they both felt instant attraction to the other. These two were really into each other and pining for the other and it really worked for me.
And extra bonus points for them getting off on the nephew calling Simon uncle Simon, I adored that and it was so hot.
Third, this sex scene we got in this story was damn hot, there was only one sex scene but it was long and really fucking hot, I loved it, very much.
Fourth, there was a little too much outside interference for me. I would have liked the main characters to have less contact with people from outside their relationship, I just felt like it took away from their time together.
Fifth, I would have prefered if this one was a little longer. I loved their dynamic but they got together right before the story ended and I would have prefered to see more of them being together.
This one is definitely my second favorite story in the anthology and I really enjoyed it and I would take a full book of this any day.
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I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
evil_jj's review
3.0
Mutual Destruction: 3 stars
When Fantasies Collide: 2.5 stars
Entwined: 3 stars
His Brother's Brat: 3 stars
When Fantasies Collide: 2.5 stars
Entwined: 3 stars
His Brother's Brat: 3 stars
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