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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
1/25/2023 reread after finishing Crimson Halo and Sleepwalkers because I wanted more Daniel May. I think I love it even more than I did the first time around.
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What did I just read? For my first "mafia" book this was pretty amazing and strange. Large age-gaps always make me sad because, you know, but at the same time they can be so delightful. Age-gap AND size-gap? yes please. Both MC were extremely engaging and I cannot wait to read book 2! Cannot and am not. It's next.
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What did I just read? For my first "mafia" book this was pretty amazing and strange. Large age-gaps always make me sad because, you know, but at the same time they can be so delightful. Age-gap AND size-gap? yes please. Both MC were extremely engaging and I cannot wait to read book 2! Cannot and am not. It's next.
3.5 stars
RTC but I really enjoyed this one. I felt like it kind of dragged at times but I really enjoyed the violence and the mystery plot, these are things I always enjoy in books and I was very pleased with how they were done in this book. I wish the romance was a little more developed, but I really enjoyed it regardless of that.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
RTC but I really enjoyed this one. I felt like it kind of dragged at times but I really enjoyed the violence and the mystery plot, these are things I always enjoy in books and I was very pleased with how they were done in this book. I wish the romance was a little more developed, but I really enjoyed it regardless of that.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This book?? This book is a shining example of why I love to review!
This is a new to me author, one of them has only this book to their name, and it blew me away, it really did!
I mean, I wasn't sure I would like it, after the first chapter, because said chapter is dark, and bloody and deadly. I KNEW it was going to be . . .messy (for want of a better word!), the review request came with a "dark, horror" tag but you can never judge just how far it's going to push you. And I loved that I carried on, I really did!
Yes, that messy theme continues all the way through the book. Yes there are meat eating horses (I'll come back to these!) yes, these men know who they are, and make apology for that and yes, Jove is a lot older than Tobias (do NOT call him Toby!) There are some minor plot holes: I wasn't quite sure WHY the person/s trying to kill Jove were doing what they were doing, to be honest but HEY!!! I don't care!
I loved that Tobias pushed Jove, right from that first (and yes, messy) meeting. Tobias was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but when he saves Jove from getting a bullet, Jove takes Tobias under his wing. But Tobias gets more than under his wing, Tobias gets under his skin, and into his head, and eventually, heart. Jove, in turn, keeps Tobias safe, for the most part, and Tobias just runs with it all!
I just loved how Tobias gets Jove, right from the start. Jove is Tobias' idea of heaven, and yes Jove never was with a man before, but Lord the man gets with the programme right quick! It's steamy and smexy and hot and heavy once these two get going!
Apart from the obviously being-held-by-the-mafia-type-man thing, there isn't much emotional drama, I know think. I don't care, though!
I actually found this a lot of fun to read, and I'm not sure this book was supposed to be fun, but really it was fabulous!
I'll come back to the horses. There are meat eating horses here, and they are called Sonnabend or Saturday horses. I googled this, cos I wanted to see if there were legends or myths about such things, but all I got were pages of race horse meeting on Saturday! So, if these exist, in myths and legends, I never heard of them before. If they don't, then well played, Messers May and Roth (I apologise if you identify differently, I tried to look!) but very well played.
So, in case you missed it, I loved this book, bloody horses and deadly meetings and all that, I really did. I'll definitely read future books by both these authors, and maybe (when time allows) go back and read some other books by May, since there are some!
5 dark, deadly but fun stars
*same words will appear elsewhere
This book?? This book is a shining example of why I love to review!
This is a new to me author, one of them has only this book to their name, and it blew me away, it really did!
I mean, I wasn't sure I would like it, after the first chapter, because said chapter is dark, and bloody and deadly. I KNEW it was going to be . . .messy (for want of a better word!), the review request came with a "dark, horror" tag but you can never judge just how far it's going to push you. And I loved that I carried on, I really did!
Yes, that messy theme continues all the way through the book. Yes there are meat eating horses (I'll come back to these!) yes, these men know who they are, and make apology for that and yes, Jove is a lot older than Tobias (do NOT call him Toby!) There are some minor plot holes: I wasn't quite sure WHY the person/s trying to kill Jove were doing what they were doing, to be honest but HEY!!! I don't care!
I loved that Tobias pushed Jove, right from that first (and yes, messy) meeting. Tobias was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but when he saves Jove from getting a bullet, Jove takes Tobias under his wing. But Tobias gets more than under his wing, Tobias gets under his skin, and into his head, and eventually, heart. Jove, in turn, keeps Tobias safe, for the most part, and Tobias just runs with it all!
I just loved how Tobias gets Jove, right from the start. Jove is Tobias' idea of heaven, and yes Jove never was with a man before, but Lord the man gets with the programme right quick! It's steamy and smexy and hot and heavy once these two get going!
Apart from the obviously being-held-by-the-mafia-type-man thing, there isn't much emotional drama, I know think. I don't care, though!
I actually found this a lot of fun to read, and I'm not sure this book was supposed to be fun, but really it was fabulous!
I'll come back to the horses. There are meat eating horses here, and they are called Sonnabend or Saturday horses. I googled this, cos I wanted to see if there were legends or myths about such things, but all I got were pages of race horse meeting on Saturday! So, if these exist, in myths and legends, I never heard of them before. If they don't, then well played, Messers May and Roth (I apologise if you identify differently, I tried to look!) but very well played.
So, in case you missed it, I loved this book, bloody horses and deadly meetings and all that, I really did. I'll definitely read future books by both these authors, and maybe (when time allows) go back and read some other books by May, since there are some!
5 dark, deadly but fun stars
*same words will appear elsewhere
DNF very fast. MC was too old (55), had a gold prosthetic eyeball, and I was bored. I looked at the spoilers and it’s not even super steamy. Pass.
OK, I liked this in even more than I thought I would. It was recced to me because I was looking for something akin to "peen too big. Ass broken." (please remind me who recced this to me! I can't find the comment on the discord!) This definitely had that, but also a surprising amount of humor and plot.
There was a bit of insta love, but it didn't seem to come out of thin air like some, so it was tolerable. I am DEFINITELY going to read more of this series.
There was a bit of insta love, but it didn't seem to come out of thin air like some, so it was tolerable. I am DEFINITELY going to read more of this series.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Huh, I never wrote a review for a book I rec all the time and love?
Re-read Feb '24 with Kayek, and the re-read with a buddy is just as good, if not better, than the first time around! I love experiencing the Saturday horses aka murder horses with someone else for the first time. Absolutely still five stars.
What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's the "I don't read mafia/mob books, but..." book. And it has murder horses, for fucksake. Just give it a whirl.
Highlights and Fearful Moments:
• He had a very brief window before ‘endearingly verbose’ became ‘noisy bitch I want to strangle’, and he had to capitalize on that window.
• The kid tried unsuccessfully to yank himself away, glowering more viciously. He reminded Jove of a feral kitten trapped in a towel.
• Jove had never slept with a man before, but he thought he had a good idea of what to do.
• And it was an eerie animal overall. It moved slowly through sheets of sunlight, in and out of the jungle’s shadow, giving a sparkly impression like a unicorn.
• Amused at his earlier fright, Tobias said, “Hello.” The gray looked back at him and its mouth opened. “Hello,” it said.
“Hello,” came a voice from above.
“Hello, hello.”
“Hello.”
• The eyes. The eyes were too close together. Too far forward.
• It sniffed the ground, flared its lip at some strange odor, and Tobias saw that the creature had teeth like a dog’s, teeth that were sharp and polished white from gnawing bones.
• The silvery gray dropped back onto its haunches. It bared its teeth, eyes rolling and then coming to focus on Hadrian and his mare. It began to circle like a wolf, fast and splashing in the water, head down, eyes bright, seeking a hole to leap through.
• It backed up, gnashing its teeth and shaking its head, tossing blood left and right. The others loomed up to take its place.
• Water churned all around, splashed on his legs, and then suddenly that silvery gray face burst out of nowhere. Tobias saw the blood on its nose, the white of its teeth. The rage in its blue eyes.
• Then they heard it. A low whistle. The sound snuck out of the dark before any actual animal— one clear, assertive whistle followed by a number of echoing whistles. Then the eyeshine appeared. Little pale gold dots, floating in pairs in the blackness. There came the sound of hooves clicking on tile.
• “Huh,” he said. “I guess they can climb stairs after all.”
Yeah, you need to read this.
Re-read Feb '24 with Kayek, and the re-read with a buddy is just as good, if not better, than the first time around! I love experiencing the Saturday horses aka murder horses with someone else for the first time. Absolutely still five stars.
What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's the "I don't read mafia/mob books, but..." book. And it has murder horses, for fucksake. Just give it a whirl.
Highlights and Fearful Moments:
• He had a very brief window before ‘endearingly verbose’ became ‘noisy bitch I want to strangle’, and he had to capitalize on that window.
• The kid tried unsuccessfully to yank himself away, glowering more viciously. He reminded Jove of a feral kitten trapped in a towel.
• Jove had never slept with a man before, but he thought he had a good idea of what to do.
• And it was an eerie animal overall. It moved slowly through sheets of sunlight, in and out of the jungle’s shadow, giving a sparkly impression like a unicorn.
• Amused at his earlier fright, Tobias said, “Hello.” The gray looked back at him and its mouth opened. “Hello,” it said.
“Hello,” came a voice from above.
“Hello, hello.”
“Hello.”
• The eyes. The eyes were too close together. Too far forward.
• It sniffed the ground, flared its lip at some strange odor, and Tobias saw that the creature had teeth like a dog’s, teeth that were sharp and polished white from gnawing bones.
• The silvery gray dropped back onto its haunches. It bared its teeth, eyes rolling and then coming to focus on Hadrian and his mare. It began to circle like a wolf, fast and splashing in the water, head down, eyes bright, seeking a hole to leap through.
• It backed up, gnashing its teeth and shaking its head, tossing blood left and right. The others loomed up to take its place.
• Water churned all around, splashed on his legs, and then suddenly that silvery gray face burst out of nowhere. Tobias saw the blood on its nose, the white of its teeth. The rage in its blue eyes.
• Then they heard it. A low whistle. The sound snuck out of the dark before any actual animal— one clear, assertive whistle followed by a number of echoing whistles. Then the eyeshine appeared. Little pale gold dots, floating in pairs in the blackness. There came the sound of hooves clicking on tile.
• “Huh,” he said. “I guess they can climb stairs after all.”
Yeah, you need to read this.
3.5 stars
My favorite part of this book was Tobias, his narration, and his interactions with anyone and everyone. Since he brought a lot of humor and levity to the book it didn't feel as dark as it might have otherwise. Unfortunately Jove didn't capture me as much.
The plot felt a little slow moving at first, which wasn't helped by repeating scenes from different POVs (a pet peeve of mine since it stalls the forward momentum of the book and gets tiring to read) but there was a bit less of that as the book progressed. I ended up liking the mystery/intrigue part of the book which was pulled of well, and the romance was satisfying enough.
My favorite part of this book was Tobias, his narration, and his interactions with anyone and everyone. Since he brought a lot of humor and levity to the book it didn't feel as dark as it might have otherwise. Unfortunately Jove didn't capture me as much.
The plot felt a little slow moving at first, which wasn't helped by repeating scenes from different POVs (a pet peeve of mine since it stalls the forward momentum of the book and gets tiring to read) but there was a bit less of that as the book progressed. I ended up liking the mystery/intrigue part of the book which was pulled of well, and the romance was satisfying enough.
This is my first read by this author, as their other stuff seems to focus on darker kinks that aren't quite my thing. This one, however, seemed to be a little more plot-focused, and a slightly more mainstream type of dark kink, which is right up my alley, and I quite enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed the writing and the characters here, and the bit of world-building was great. There's a very slight sort of paranormal twist that added a fun bit of flavor, and overall I just found it quite fun and compelling. The ~mystery~ plot aspect was a bit obvious, but I was having such fun with the characters that I didn't mind. Looks like there should eventually be a sequel focusing on a different pairing, and I'll definitely keep an eye out!
I really enjoyed the writing and the characters here, and the bit of world-building was great. There's a very slight sort of paranormal twist that added a fun bit of flavor, and overall I just found it quite fun and compelling. The ~mystery~ plot aspect was a bit obvious, but I was having such fun with the characters that I didn't mind. Looks like there should eventually be a sequel focusing on a different pairing, and I'll definitely keep an eye out!