beatha_82's reviews
151 reviews

The Fly-Half by Charlie Novak

hopeful

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

"The fly-half" is book two in the Lincoln knights series. It's a sports romance and it can be read as a standalone. We follow Devon and Johnny. The two of them play for the same rugby team and have been friends since they were teenagers.  Devon has always been in love with Johnny but he thinks that his best friend is straight. 

Childhood best friends to lovers is my absolute favorite, I also really loved Johnny's bi awakening and the demisexual representation. Their journey felt realistic and I connected with both characters. I especially loved Devon, he was such a sweet person. Johnny was a bit too overprotective and jealous but I liked that he acknowledged that it was a problem and actually went to therapy. He grew so much as a person.

Their chemistry was chef's kiss, absolutely delicious. I really really loved them together. 

I also liked that the rugby team was a big family and they all took care of each other.  

Fantastic addition to the series.  I can't wait to read the next book. 

Alternating Current by Katherine McIntyre

lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

This was a really sweet and fun contemporary novella. I loved the meet cute between Garrett and Luke, it was really entertaining and their chemistry was brilliant. I loved how playful Luke was and Garrett was just the sweetest. They were great together.
If you are in the mood for a fast paced, fluffy LGBTQ romance I would definitely recommend it! I had a great time reading it. 

A Match Made In Evan: An MM Friends-To-Lovers Romance by Anna Sparrows

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This was such a fun romance. I love reading books with fake dating and books where childhood best friends fall in love and this book combined both in a fantastic way. It was very entertaining and fast paced and I had a blast reading it.  Evan and James were wonderful together, I loved that they already new each other so well. They had amazing chemistry and I really liked reading about their double bi awakening. They made me smile and warmed my heart. 

I also liked how the author handled the storyline with Mia, James' daughter. 

Great addition to the series. I really really loved it. 

Calvin by Kerry Kilpatrick

3.0

This is the second book in this contemporary series but you can read it as a standalone. We follow Micah, a young man who is homeless because of some horrible circumstances and Calvin, a wealthy man who falls for him and wants to help him.

I loved Micah from chapter one. I felt for him and wanted him to be happy and have a wonderful life. I also really liked his friendship with Beckett, one of the main characters from book one.

I had a hard time connecting with Calvin. He was too possesssive for my personal taste and it felt to me that he fell for Micah too fast, especially since he thought he was straight until the moment he met him. I'm more of a slow burn romance kind of person and I have a hard time connecting with possesssive protagonists. But that's my personal preference. The book was well written and nicely paced and Micah and Calvin were happy together. I really loved the first book in the series and even though I didn't relate with Calvin I still enjoyed book two. I'm excited to read the next book in the series.

Just One Rule by Emily Alter

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

 "Just one rule" is book four in the Plumas universe series, a contemporary romance series. It can be read as a standalone, I haven't read all the previous books and didn't feel lost at all. There are cameos but each book focuses on a different couple and the characters from the previous books are fleshed out side characters with their backstories explained.
In this book we follow Erika and Eli. Eli's uncle kicks them out and Eli goes to Erika for help. The two of them have always been close but when they start living together their relationship evolves. I'm not very familiar with their type of dynamic but I loved their chemistry and I thought that they were absolutely amazing together. I loved how well they communicated and I loved how they took care of each other. I also really liked that the author gave emphasis on the importance of therapy.
I felt very connected with both main characters but I related with Erika a little bit more. She's the type of person that always takes care of all of her friends and sometimes forgets to take care of herself. Lucky for her, her friends group is the best and took care of her when she needed it.
It was a very well written book, the characters were deep and interesting and grew a lot and I adored the romance. It warned my heart to see Erika and Eli fall in love and get their happily ever after.
I can't wait to read more books in the series. 

Pomegranate Kiss by Katherine McIntyre

emotional hopeful

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

"The Eros Tales" series is a contemporary romance series based on greek mythology and each book follows a different couple. "Pomegranate kiss" is book 2 and you can definitely read it as a standalone, I haven't read the first book and didn't feel lost, but I would like to go back and read the first book because I'm interested in reading Adrian and Danny's story.
Book 2 is about Cam and Lex and is inspired by Hades and Persephone. Lex is Adrian's sister and Cam Danny's best friend. The attraction between the two of them is electric and they can't stay away from each other. But Cam insists she's straight and Lex doesn't do relationships. The two of them end up having a friends with benefits arrangement but they end up falling in love.
I really loved reading their story, they both grew so much as characters and it was so sweet seeing them fall in love and finding happiness. I was rooting for them and I really cared for them. They were a great match and had fantastic chemistry. I particularly connected with Cam but I loved Lex too and their happily ever after warmed my heart.
Fantastic romance, I had a great time reading it and I can't wait to read more books in the series. 

Spinning to the Goal by Christie Gordon

4.0

 "Spinning to the goal" is book four in the desert ice hockey series. It's a contemporary romance series and we follow a group of college friends who are all queer and play for the hockey team. Each book can be read as a standalone but there are cameos and there's a strong found family theme.
This book is Ace's story. Ace is the goalie and I liked him a lot from the previous books. His love interest is Zoma who attends the same college and is a figure skater. Zoma had a bad break up and isn't ready to date again but the attraction between him and Ace is too hard to resist.
The chemistry between them was chef's kiss. I really really loved them together. They were both great characters and they grew a lot as the story progressed.
I also really enjoyed all the discussions about being a professional athlete and trying to navigate a new relationship. It was very interesting.
It was a fast paced and beautifully written book, a fantastic addition to the series. I'm looking forward to reading the next one. 

Obey by R. Phoenix, Adara Wolf

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Obey is the third book in the series but you could definitely read it as a standalone. In this book we follow Maddox and Nayeem. The two of them first meet when they are seventeen. They fall in love but something horrible happens and they are separated for eight years. Nayeem blames Maddox for what happened and when they have to work together years later things get complicated.
This book is a true enemies to lovers. Nayeem hates Maddox and can't forgive him. Maddox is desperate for his forgiveness and hates that he still has feelings for Nayeem.
It's an amazing second chance romance too. The tension between them was exquisite and I just wanted them to work out their issues and be together!
There is also a suspense subplot in the book that I really enjoyed.
This book was fantastic and got me hooked. Great pacing and brilliant characters with explosive chemistry.
 

The narrator was perfect for the story. He brought Maddox and Nayeem to life. The voices were distinct and spot on. And the audio quality was great. I had a blast listening this book.

I highly recommend it.

Barbarian by Onley James

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was my favorite book in the series so far. I loved books 1 and 2 but I absolutely adored "Barbarian". I wanted to read more about Mal since we met him in book two, he was such an interesting character and I loved being in his pov and learn more about how his mind works. I always liked Nico but I didn't expect to fall in love with him so much. He was so adorably clueless about his feelings for Mal and their relationship. And when we found out more about his past and the reasons why he acts the way he does I just wanted to hug him. Luckily Mal was there to make everything better. Their dynamic was delicious and their chemistry absolutely explosive, simply perfect.
The suspense storyline was very interesting and I really enjoyed all the twists.
And as always the cameos were the best. The glimpses we got of Jericho and Atticus brought a huge smile on my face. I love them all so so much! I can't wait for the next book. I highly recommend this series. The writing is beautiful, the pacing fantastic and the characters deep and complex.

 

Comforting the Grump by Nora Phoenix

emotional hopeful inspiring

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

 "Comforting the grump" is book 5 in the forestville series but it can be read as a standalone. We follow a group of friends that have known each other since they were kids and grew up in a small town. This book focuses on Marnin and his best friend's younger brother, Ennio.

Marnin doesn't do relationships and even though he appears to be grumpy he has a heart of gold. I knew from the prologue that this book was going to make me cry. My heart ached for Marnin.  His backstory was so sad.

Ennio is full of sunshine and joy. He wants to find "the one" and get his happily ever after and loves his small town.

The two of them have known each other for years and I really liked that there was already a connection between them. I also loved how they started growing closer and eventually fell in love. It felt very realistic and they were beautiful together. They had amazing chemistry but what I adored the most about their relationship was how caring and supportive they both were. Opposites attract and the two of them were a great match. 

I had such a wonderful time reading their story. They both grew so much as characters, it warmed my heart.

A fantastic addition to this brilliant contemporary series. I highly recommend it and I hope we'll get more stories set in forestville.