fresholivebread's reviews
506 reviews

The Edge of Dawn by Beverly Jenkins

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.75

Super secret mercenary protects school principal on the run while trying to find a diamond her father supposedly left behind. Both MCs are smart, sexy, capable and just really awesome and likeable. It's great to have equally strong-willed characters, and the chemistry between them is top notch. The attraction is strong, but there's a fair bit of push pull, due to some fair reasons. The building of their slow-burn romance is great, loved that protective streak of his! 

There's a playful quality to their romance which I really liked, and it doesn't lack passion and sexy times either. She constantly challenges him as well. The action is very James Bond - espionage, lurking villains, exploding things etc. I loved how she held her own and kicked major ass. The Black history woven into the book is excellent. A super fun romp!

The Duke Identity by Grace Callaway

adventurous emotional funny tense slow-paced

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

4.25

A constable goes undercover as bodyguard to the granddaughter of the deadliest criminal in underworld, while other threats loom. The MCs are compelling - he's serious, broody and jaded; she's bold and clever, but is somewhat vulnerable under her facade of wiles and fire. Their chemistry and banter are amazing, and her playfulness unearths his long-forgotten carefree side. 


The relationship building is good though she fell fast - she's determined to win him over, and he respects and truly cares for her. It's especially lovely that he really sees her heart. And their nicknames are really cute (Professor and sprite). Lots of steamy scenes ala Callaway (iykyk), and a dominant in bed, bespectacled hero is totally my catnip. Though I did wish that the secrets had come into light earlier (but great grovel speech). The action/suspense is fun, and I loved how they arrived at their HEA. 

Blaze by Jocelynn Drake, Rinda Elliott

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Lucas and Andrei are heading to the altar when his estranged sister shows up needing help. Lucas and Andrei are rock solid at this point, and Andrei really understands what Lucas needs, even when he doesn't see it for himself. The love, trust, passion and protectiveness between them are just lovely (though jealous!Andrei is 🔥) and I loved every second of them together. 

Also loved their sexual chemistry, and the wedding planning sex was hilarious and hot. The action and suspense give some insight into Lucas and Snow's past, and how far they'd come. The found family is a big part of the series, and I loved the guys being supportive and kicking ass. Plus Ian is 100% adorable. Great mix of action, suspense, romance and steam, and a perfect wedding and honeymoon to cap it off! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Hard Wired by Hannah Shield

adventurous challenging hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A reluctant mobster and a hacker face off against the bad mafia. He's basically a mobster with morals, unexpectedly gentle and caring. She's smart, fiesty and jaded. There's some insta-lust, judgy banter and a whole lotta sparks. Boundaries are pushed, and they challenge each other constantly. But they saw each other's vulnerabilities, and  begin to develop real feelings. He's actually a (dominant) cinnamon roll for her and it's kinda sweet. 

Their steamy scenes are sexy, and the emotional moments are great,  there's no miscommunication (yay). Given he's a criminal, with people out for his blood, it's not an easy road for them. I liked that

they had time apart before reuniting, the HEA feels realistic and very deserved

. The suspense is fine, but felt scattered at times, and was resolved a bit abruptly. 

Zero Divergence by Aimee Nicole Walker

adventurous challenging emotional funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Sawyer and Royce are confronted with the release of a serial rapist and a mole in their midst. It's dual POV here, with Sawyer still recovering from his injuries and Royce being the best caretaker. They've been through a lot, and they're stronger together and confident in their relationship. I continued to love the way they communicate and their honesty in expressing themselves. 

Not to say there are no conflicts, just that they dealt with it so well. They know when to push, and when the other needs to ease himself into talking. The support and love between them are the absolute best, I enjoyed all the professional and personal moments (and their rompy times remain hot!). And the closeness of the amazing side cast adds to my enjoyment. The action and suspense are great, no complaints there!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide

Devil's Hour by Aimee Nicole Walker

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-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

4.75

Sawyer and Royce navigate their new reality while trying to protect their city. This book is in Royce's voice, and a deeper side of him is shown. Sawyer is the almost perfect boyfriend, he never pushes, but lets Royce know that he's always there. Seeing Sawyer through Royce's eyes really made me loved him more, he's a sweetheart. Their relationship development is great. 

I adored every moment of their partnership and romance -  the domesticity, the tenderness, the sexy, steamy moments, and even when they're being asses. The best thing was the awesome communication between them. They fight and have insecurities, but they also talk it out maturely without letting things fester. Royce is so determined to fight for Sawyer and keep him. The suspense is much better here, and more exciting. Very enjoyable read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Suicide

Ground Zero by Aimee Nicole Walker

adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Two new partners try to solve murders while overcoming their antagonism. The steady, confident Sawyer is likeable, but the brash, hot/cold Royce took some time to warm up to. Though there's a fair bit of lusty thoughts from Sawyer, their romance burns slower due to their issues of love and loss, and Royce's perceived straightness. There's a lot of snarky banter and tension that then turns sexual, which leads to some explosive moments. 

It's pretty steamy when they finally get together, and Sawyer opens up the more caring, sensitive side of Royce. There's a fair bit of push pull though. Their

HFN ending with them wanting to try for a relationship is fitting (TBC)

. The mysteries are on the simple side, and I preferred a centralised case to a few cases at once. And I would've liked a peek into Royce's thoughts. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism and Homophobia

Fighting For Her by Cynthia Eden

adventurous challenging emotional funny tense fast-paced

4.0

Burly bodyguard protects mob princess before she testifies. This is Eden's usual bodyguard romance - growly hero, spunky heroine, no one is whom they seem, and steamy romance to top it off. He's stoic, no-nonsense and she brings out all his uber protective instincts. She's sassy and hides her pain under a sultry exterior, but some of her decisions are kinda dumb. There are forced proximity situations that lead to simmering sexual tension, which is pretty hot when it boils over. 

Rick may be bossy and overbearing, but he's also tender and sweet towards her, and his OTT protectiveness worked for me. There's a bit more push-pull than I preferred in their romance, but he works really hard to assure her that she can trust him. Lots of twists, lots of action, and a great eventual HEA. 

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

BatB inspired - Beauty marries the Beast for her reputation (and hopes to avoid sex since he's 'impotent'). Oh, how I adored the cranky, brilliant, House-esque asshole that is Piers. He's so snarkily hilarious, and when he finally fell, he fell *so hard*. Linnet is his match in every way, she's beautiful, witty, sarcastic and dishes it back to him in equal measures. I simply loved them together - the banter, the slow building of trust, the eventual love and passion between them. 

Their times in Pier's sea pool are fun, and I really liked that there's a real friendship between them. But the sudden descent into angst felt just a bit off, and there are some painful, emotional moments.

And Pier's dick move was ugh. The conflict also felt slightly dragged out, and I really needed more reunion s̶e̶x̶ times

. But I still had a lot of fun with this!

Edge of Nowhere by Felicia Davin

adventurous challenging emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

4.0

 A runner (aka teleporter of some sort) and human cargo run into conspiracies and trouble. Sensitive, loyal and protective Emil is a great match for the smart, scrappy, jaded Kit. There's a bit of a sex pollen/berry thing at first which sparks off the attraction, but feelings come through pretty quickly. Their chemistry is great and I really liked their connection. Kit has a lot of trust issues, and Emil puts in a lot of effort to break down his walls. 

He's really sweet and caring, and also very protective of Kit. And Kit finally letting down his guard with Emil is lovely. There's a good mix of romance, steam and friendship, though I could use more romance! The future Earth universe is unique and built well, with solid action elements. I loved the diversity of side cast, and the found family elements are wonderful.