lost_windsock's reviews
331 reviews

Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Comic Book by Leighton Gray, Vernon Shaw

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5.0

This was super adorable! I loved all of the different art styles and getting to see just a little more of each of the dads was so fun!
Eternally Blessed Special Edition by Garrett Leigh

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dark emotional tense 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? No

5.0

Every single time a new Rebel Kings book comes out, I just know I'm in for an emotional rollercoaster that is going to destroy me. And the love I have for these books never quits. I could not believe we were left on such an epic cliffhanger in the last book, and waiting for this one was absolute agony, even though I knew it couldn't be long before everything was okay again. But even solving Locke's kidnapping and tying up those loose ends didn't end the book. (Orla is every bit the mother fucking queen, Holy shit, I didn't think I could love her any more than I already did but I was so wrong.) Through every turn of this book and the dramatic events Locke, Orla and Nash had to deal with, their relationship only grew, and my love for them grew alongside. And the bonus content in this book, particularly Rubi's sections, were just such a nice addition. I really love the special editions of these books and getting to see other perspectives from other characters. It really deepens the connection the reader has with every character in this series, and I just will never stop raving about how much I love these books.
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Forbidden in the Falls by J.E. Birk

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3.25

Overall, I think this book was pretty good, and it had all the elements that are necessary for me to enjoy a book, but something about it just never really attached itself to me. I liked Malachai a lot, and I did like Sam, too, but their relationship never tipped fully over from I-Can't-Have-You vibes to We're-In-Love-Now-And-That's-Okay vibes, in my opinion. There just seemed like there was a notch missing in their chemistry, and while it was a small notch, the fact that it wasn't there meant I was never wholly sold on them together. The light kink that was sprinkled in was fine, but I wouldn't say it added a lot to their dynamic, because I feel like it could have if there was just a little more spark between them. I enjoyed the plot of this book, and I liked all of the side characters and the main characters' struggles, but this book just didn't really hit for me. 
Knowing You by E.M. Lindsey

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book was so good! I loved all of the characters in it, main and side! Except Lane's ex, but we were supposed to hate her with a passion and I certainly did. I really loved Bowen and Lane together, and although this was a slow burn, I really enjoyed the beginning of their friendship, too. Seeing them together as friends made their romance so much sweeter, and holy hell, the steamy scenes that much steamier. I think this book really gave a nice setup for the rest of the series, too, giving a lot of depth to Frey, whose book is next up. Again I will say, as always, E.M. Lindsey can do no wrong and I will always read their new releases! They never let me down!
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Only Orlando by Charlie Novak

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I've been waiting and waiting for Orlando's book ever since I read Always Eli, which was forever ago, and it was exactly what I hoped it would be! Orlando is just such a fun character, and he's so sweet, and I think Charles and Jude were perfect for him! This book was filled to the brim with filthy, sexy scenes, but also with a lot of nice emotional moments. The only reason is not getting a full 5 stars from me is because I do wish it had had more moments of their relationship growth in the page. There was a lot of time skipping where I just wish we'd seen maybe some texting between them or something to really solidify how close they were growing to each other when they weren't living together or spending a ton of time together yet.
Eight Dates by E.M. Lindsey

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emotional lighthearted tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

What a delightful book! I had trouble putting this one down. I loved the concept of this book- finding love with the bartender of the bar where you're scheduled to have 8 consecutive blind dates that all require rescue in some form. Adding in the little meet-cute with Nova before the days begin was a nice touch, too, though I was confused about what circumstances brought they about in the first place and I feel like it didn't get explained well enough. That's the only thing in the whole book that bothered me, though, and the rest of it was just perfect. Each date helped us learn more about both Ben and Nova, and the more we learned, the more I adored them. Poor Ben had to have such a terrible time, but it led to his happily ever after eventually, and Nova was able to prove to him early and often that he could trust him to be there for him. Also, once they actually got together, holy hell, they were incredibly hot together. There was definitely a little bit of light kink in there, and it really fit the characters so well. E.M. Lindsey adds another banger to their catalog with this one, that's for sure.
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Heart2Heart Anthology, Volume 7: A Contemporary Collection by Leslie Copeland

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emotional lighthearted

4.5

I really enjoyed this collection of stories. There were two in there that I didn't care for, but all of the other ones were really delightful. A good handful of my favorite authors had stories in there, and I came across a few authors I'd not heard of before that I'll be looking up and falling head first into their catalogs.
His Guilty Pleasure by Leighton Greene

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dark mysterious tense 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? No

5.0

As soon as the new butler was introduced in a former book in this series, I just knew he'd be getting his own. I absolutely adored Darian, and the fact that his story came with a heaping helping of Julian was just an added delight. I think Darian's pairing with Raffi was perfect, too, and I loved their interactions throughout the book. This was the first time in all of Leighton Greene's stories that I actually was able to piece together most of the mystery before it was revealed, and it was so satisfying to see all the pieces I missed be filled in as the story concluded. This book was a super fun read, pretty dang steamy, and fits seamlessly into the series. I'm already speculating about the events of the next book, and I can't wait to read it when it comes out.
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Up all night by Annabeth Albert

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Annabeth Albert is one of my auto-read authors and I'm never disappointed with any of her releases! This book was a lot more low-angst than I was expecting, which while I enjoyed that, I was kinda hoping for just a little bit more. I feel like there was a big opportunity to dig into Denver's reluctance to put down roots and delve a little more into the hurt he carried from his complicated past. Sean trying to ignore and downplay that felt a little grating at times, but I'm really glad he had his talk with Eric and realized that he maybe wasn't being fair to Denver. I did really like Sean, despite that. I loved his sunshine personality and his sense of humor and I thought the chemistry between he and Denver was really hot. I wish his subby tendencies had been more thoroughly explored and flushed out, but I'm not mad at anything that happened between those two. The character arch in this book was really formulaic and predictable, but that's one of the things we love in a good low-angst romance, so I really have no complaints about that. Though this probably won't make my favorites list of Annabeth books, I did really enjoy it and I'm looking forward to the rest of the Mount Hope series.
The Crease by Crea Reitan

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow, I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did but it hit every mark for me. I love a high-angst book from time to time, and this one had everything I wanted and more. An emotionally devastated man who had essentially given up on himself after spiraling too far out of control, and a sweet, overprotective man who isn't sure why he cares enough to devote everything he has into helping make it better. The kink factor in this book also just hit all the right notes. These two were beyond hot together, and the undercurrent of uncertainty from both parties combined with the obvious obsession and love for each other they developed was the perfect storm. I think this book will end up on my list of books I love to read again and again.