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peristome's reviews
111 reviews
Clueless Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Maybe it's a consequence of reading all the Fake Boyfriend, CU Hockey, and Puckboys books in a row, but I didn't connect as well to this book as the others. It was fine, and I thought Vance and Quinn were cute (and clueless), but that's all. I did appreciate how they handled "revealing" their relationship. It was much better than in Shameless Puckboy. I also loved all the Asher cameos, they were a treat.
This book is really low-stakes, so if that's something you like in your romances, you should give it a shot.
This book is really low-stakes, so if that's something you like in your romances, you should give it a shot.
Merry Christmas, Scott & Kip by Rachel Reid
funny
lighthearted
3.0
I honestly don't have much to say about this one. It was nothing special, mostly just fluff. It was a cute follow-up to Game Changer. If you want more Scott and Kip, this is a nice bite-sized story.
Rushing into Love by A.W. Scott
Did not finish book. Stopped at 52%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 52%.
I'm sorry. I tried. But there's just no way I can finish this book. I have so many problems with it that I don't even know where to start.
Firstly, this book is obviously not finished. I know that because the copy I read from Kindle Unlimited explicitly said it was an ARC version. It's easy to tell because there's a ridiculous amount of grammar and spelling mistakes among other problems. A lot of characters get referred to by completely different names at some points. Maddox becomes Max, Leon becomes Lee (which is the name of the nephew), etc. It's distracting and annoying.
Secondly, there are so many inconsistencies and unbelievable deus-ex-machina plot points in the story. There's just no way that Jake got two owners to trade their star players who have been playing well just like that. It's just not possible. They didn't have no-trade clauses (which are very common for big players)? And their agents weren't even involved? One guy traded his "best player" because his sister asked him to? Absolutely the fuck not! Where are the investors in this? Surely, the NHL would step in at some point as this could ruin quite a few markets.
And the worst part is that it's an easy fix too! Jake has been into hockey for years, so the author could have made Maddox and Leon former superstars who are in a rut and have the Bellport Bears be their "last chance" before retirement. It would 1) force them to get along in a more organic way and 2) make narrative fucking sense.
Thirdly, the way this book handles Leon's attraction is, frankly, appalling. Leon is introduced as a guy who hasn't ever had feelings for a man and is vehement that he's "not gay". This in itself is not bad. I love a good gay/bi awakening trope. I've liked it in several books that I've read. The problem is that Leon goes from 0 to 100.Once the team dinner/party happens at the Bellport Estate, it's like Leon and Maddox are magically drawn to Jake and each other. For no reason. There's absolutely zero build up to their attraction. Leon and Maddox literally have one (1) somewhat friendly interaction before this, where they agree to try to be friends. And in the next chapter, Leon volunteers to bottom for Maddox, a man he heavily disliked for most of their career. A man who he couldn't even admit his own attraction to. It's so completely unrealistic and weird. Just make Leon bi to start with like Maddox. There's no reason to shoehorn in the gay/bi awakening trope if you are going to drop it 20% of the way into your story.
Additionally, this book should not be advertised as the beginning of a new series. The author says you can read this as a standalone, but I very much disagree. You'll be missing a lot if you haven't read at least one of the related books (A Little Finn and Hear Me). Also, this last point is a minor gripe, but if you're going to make up cities (Bellport) and teams for other cities (Dallas Diamonds), at least use names that aren't taken by hockey teams in real life. The team in Winnipeg is called the Maple Leafs in this book, but in real life, there is a hockey team in Toronto called the Maple Leafs. Just use a different name!
All my points from my Hear Me review also stand. The author has absolutely zero fucking clue how hockey works. The author has a cheeky line in their "Dear Reader" note saying to ignore it, but I just can't. If you know nothing about hockey, don't write about it or do the research. Simple as that.
Personally, I don't think this book is worth anything in its current state. It needs heavy editing and review. If you're looking for a MMM DDLB book, look elsewhere. You have been warned.
Firstly, this book is obviously not finished. I know that because the copy I read from Kindle Unlimited explicitly said it was an ARC version. It's easy to tell because there's a ridiculous amount of grammar and spelling mistakes among other problems. A lot of characters get referred to by completely different names at some points. Maddox becomes Max, Leon becomes Lee (which is the name of the nephew), etc. It's distracting and annoying.
Secondly, there are so many inconsistencies and unbelievable deus-ex-machina plot points in the story. There's just no way that Jake got two owners to trade their star players who have been playing well just like that. It's just not possible. They didn't have no-trade clauses (which are very common for big players)? And their agents weren't even involved? One guy traded his "best player" because his sister asked him to? Absolutely the fuck not! Where are the investors in this? Surely, the NHL would step in at some point as this could ruin quite a few markets.
And the worst part is that it's an easy fix too! Jake has been into hockey for years, so the author could have made Maddox and Leon former superstars who are in a rut and have the Bellport Bears be their "last chance" before retirement. It would 1) force them to get along in a more organic way and 2) make narrative fucking sense.
Thirdly, the way this book handles Leon's attraction is, frankly, appalling. Leon is introduced as a guy who hasn't ever had feelings for a man and is vehement that he's "not gay". This in itself is not bad. I love a good gay/bi awakening trope. I've liked it in several books that I've read. The problem is that Leon goes from 0 to 100.
Additionally, this book should not be advertised as the beginning of a new series. The author says you can read this as a standalone, but I very much disagree. You'll be missing a lot if you haven't read at least one of the related books (A Little Finn and Hear Me). Also, this last point is a minor gripe, but if you're going to make up cities (Bellport) and teams for other cities (Dallas Diamonds), at least use names that aren't taken by hockey teams in real life. The team in Winnipeg is called the Maple Leafs in this book, but in real life, there is a hockey team in Toronto called the Maple Leafs. Just use a different name!
All my points from my Hear Me review also stand. The author has absolutely zero fucking clue how hockey works. The author has a cheeky line in their "Dear Reader" note saying to ignore it, but I just can't. If you know nothing about hockey, don't write about it or do the research. Simple as that.
Personally, I don't think this book is worth anything in its current state. It needs heavy editing and review. If you're looking for a MMM DDLB book, look elsewhere. You have been warned.
Hear Me by A.W. Scott
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.0
I am struggling to rate this book because I'm not sure I should be. I feel like this is a good book... but not for me. I've come to the conclusion that DDLB is just not my cup of tea. However, if you do like DDLB, I think this will be a great book for you! The kink is represented well and the characters are syrupy sweet with each other.
However, if you are a sports fan—especially a hockey fan—I would advise staying away from this one, even if you like DDLB. That's because almost every aspect of hockey is portrayed incorrectly in this book. The players barely seem to travel, and when they do, they play series of games back-to-back to the same team. That ain't how hockey works, folks. Back-to-backs are rare, and teams never play the same team twice in a row unless they are in the Cup finals. The terminology is off, and almost no focus is put on the games.I mean, the team supposedly wins the Stanley freaking Cup and we don't even see that happen!
And the way the team forms is flat-out wrong. Even if you're mega-rich, you can't just "create" a sports team in a closed league like the NHL. You have to wait for an expansion to happen. You can't just offer other players contracts, you need to wait for an expansion draft. Expansions usually happen in cities that already have a hockey fanbase—it's a prerequisite to have an AHL team that's reasonably popular. And expansions don't happen to really small cities like Bellport seems to be (I know it's not a real place, but honestly, why not just use New Orleans?).
I also think the friendships evolve in a weird way. Pretty much every time a character meets another one and they become friends, it happens instantly, or even off-page. For example, Atlas had a good portion of the hockey team at his graduation cheering for him—which is great, don't get me wrong—but the book never actually shows him getting to know any of the other players on the team besides Bishop, the other male lead. We just have to accept they are friends in the end, somehow.
If you don't know anything about sports, that's fine... just don't write about them. Don't make one of your main characters a sports star. It's okay. You can think of something else. The overall writing is not bad though. If you don't care about inaccurate portrayals of sports, and you like DDLB, you should give this book a shot. I really think you will like it.
However, if you are a sports fan—especially a hockey fan—I would advise staying away from this one, even if you like DDLB. That's because almost every aspect of hockey is portrayed incorrectly in this book. The players barely seem to travel, and when they do, they play series of games back-to-back to the same team. That ain't how hockey works, folks. Back-to-backs are rare, and teams never play the same team twice in a row unless they are in the Cup finals. The terminology is off, and almost no focus is put on the games.
And the way the team forms is flat-out wrong. Even if you're mega-rich, you can't just "create" a sports team in a closed league like the NHL. You have to wait for an expansion to happen. You can't just offer other players contracts, you need to wait for an expansion draft. Expansions usually happen in cities that already have a hockey fanbase—it's a prerequisite to have an AHL team that's reasonably popular. And expansions don't happen to really small cities like Bellport seems to be (I know it's not a real place, but honestly, why not just use New Orleans?).
If you don't know anything about sports, that's fine... just don't write about them. Don't make one of your main characters a sports star. It's okay. You can think of something else. The overall writing is not bad though. If you don't care about inaccurate portrayals of sports, and you like DDLB, you should give this book a shot. I really think you will like it.
Town Bronze by Ellie Thomas
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
I really liked this book, although I wish it was longer. More time needed to be spent building up their relationship. I feel like the characters went from one or two encounters to an agreement of exclusivity really fast and in a weird way. For example, Jasper never touched Mortimer, not once. How can they possibly claim to have feelings for each other if this is the case? I also felt like Jasper never really dealt with his "gay awakening" in any meaningful way, which I would have liked to see.
I also felt like the language was really dense. I appreciate that it was trying to emulate regency-era books, but some of the vocabulary was so outdated and long-winded that a bit modernization would have gone a long way. Not to mention that some of the clothing the characters wore or the slang that was used come from completely different eras than when this is set. For example,one of the romantic leads frequents a brothel with his party of friends, and one of the girls there wears a "chemise". This would be fine... if the book was set in the 1920s, when those were popular. But it's not. It's clear the author just thought that was an older word for nightgown, when it's not—it's a specific type of sleepwear.
However, I am definitely intrigued to read more by this author. If you are looking for a sweet regency-era romance that is gay, I recommend you give this one a shot.
I also felt like the language was really dense. I appreciate that it was trying to emulate regency-era books, but some of the vocabulary was so outdated and long-winded that a bit modernization would have gone a long way. Not to mention that some of the clothing the characters wore or the slang that was used come from completely different eras than when this is set. For example,
However, I am definitely intrigued to read more by this author. If you are looking for a sweet regency-era romance that is gay, I recommend you give this one a shot.
Winter Werewolf's Claim by Tavia Lark
3.0
When Miss Tavia Lark says short story, she means it! I loved this, although I wish it was longer, maybe novella length. I don't feel like we got to know the characters all that well. I needed more. I'm giving it three stars on the premise alone, which I felt was really strong. I also liked that it ended with them getting ready to "court" each other.
A Daddy for Alexi by Joe Satoria
What does that even mean. The worst part is, the "he" in this sentence isn't even supposed to be speaking. It's the POV character who is speaking, so it should be "I"! This truly feels like a rough draft. If this book had more work, and a bit of a character overhaul for Warren, it could be really good.
fast-paced
1.0
This isn't the worst book I've ever read, but it needs a lot of work, in my opinion. The book should have honestly been another 100–200 pages long to flesh out the relationships between the characters. And I mean all the relationships, not just the one between Alexi and Warren (although that could definitely use some more fleshing out as well). We literally meet the best friend of one of the romantic leads in the last chapter. That's unacceptable to me. And Alexi and Benny barely get any time to showcase their friendship/break-up/make-up. Like, it's a whole mess.
Warren is also kind of controlling, and not in a good way.He pretty much bans Alexi from seeing his one (1) friend in person because he (Warren) has a history with him. He also never discusses safe words with Alexi—literally, at one point, Warren says, "Good boys don't say no, do they?" and Alexi just... agrees with him?? Not cool.
There's also a lot of grammatical errors that need to be fixed, as well as some truly indecipherable sentences. For example, in the first chapter, there is this paragraph:
Warren is also kind of controlling, and not in a good way.
There's also a lot of grammatical errors that need to be fixed, as well as some truly indecipherable sentences. For example, in the first chapter, there is this paragraph:
Visibly about to crumble into a pile of dust, he smiled. "I should—get back. I'm—I'm customer services."
What does that even mean. The worst part is, the "he" in this sentence isn't even supposed to be speaking. It's the POV character who is speaking, so it should be "I"! This truly feels like a rough draft. If this book had more work, and a bit of a character overhaul for Warren, it could be really good.
Foolish Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
Surprisingly, this book is a step above most of the others in this series. I have only liked Egotisitical Puckboy more. I really love how Aleks and Gabe come together and the sacrifices they make for each other. I think their relationship progresses in a very organic way; it's not rushed. Also, Gabe's dirty talk is the best in any of the books by this author duo, hooooly shirtballs.
One thing I didn't like was the big "I love you" seen in the fire station. <spoile>Aleks just blurts out all his feelings about kids and marriage and stuff in front of everyone. It frelt very out of character. Why wouldn't he drag Gabe to the alley right away? Or at least a quiet room in the firehouse? I also felt like Gabe's character was really inconsistent.In the beginning, Gabe isn't really looking for commitment and is totally down to be the guy Aleks experiments with, but near the end, he says he's ready to settle down and move on to the "next stage" of his life. So which is it? I don't know, I just found it really weird how he switched up like that for no reason. And I do mean no reason. Not a single character growth moment was found.
Overall though, I'm really surprised to have enjoyed this book as much as I did. I'm hoping the final book in the series can bring me back around to fully loving this series.
One thing I didn't like was the big "I love you" seen in the fire station. <spoile>Aleks just blurts out all his feelings about kids and marriage and stuff in front of everyone. It frelt very out of character. Why wouldn't he drag Gabe to the alley right away? Or at least a quiet room in the firehouse? I also felt like Gabe's character was really inconsistent.
Overall though, I'm really surprised to have enjoyed this book as much as I did. I'm hoping the final book in the series can bring me back around to fully loving this series.
Shameless Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
funny
lighthearted
2.5
I honestly don't have much to say about this book. I liked Oskar and Lane, but I didn't really love them. The timeline of their relationship was weird to me—they spent so much time being sexually frustrated that it seems like they sped through to the falling in love part. I also didn't really feel like their feelings for each other matched what they were saying (I can't explain; it was just a vibe I got).
Oskar is also incredibly similar to Ezra from Egotistical Puckboy, which is maybe a bit much for two main characters in the same series. If you love the other books in the series, I see no reason why you wouldn't love this one too. I'm more ambivalent on the series as a whole, so I wasn't able to overcome the flaws.
Oskar is also incredibly similar to Ezra from Egotistical Puckboy, which is maybe a bit much for two main characters in the same series. If you love the other books in the series, I see no reason why you wouldn't love this one too. I'm more ambivalent on the series as a whole, so I wasn't able to overcome the flaws.
Irresponsible Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
slow-paced
2.0
I'm really sad I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. Friends-to-lovers is a new trope for this author duo (at least, for the books I've read), so I was excited to see what they'd do with it. Not going to lie, I was disappointed. All at once, this book felt incredibly slow-paced, too short, like everything was happening at once, but astonishingly boring. It felt like nothing happened, but it was over in less than 300 pages. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "nothing-burger".
I've read much better "gay awakening" books, too. Even by this same author duo. I'm only giving it two stars because I really liked Tripp as a character and he doesn't deserve just one. To be honest, person who may or may not be reading this, I'd skip this one.
I've read much better "gay awakening" books, too. Even by this same author duo. I'm only giving it two stars because I really liked Tripp as a character and he doesn't deserve just one. To be honest, person who may or may not be reading this, I'd skip this one.