B3 - Brooklyn's Book Bites

my thoughts about what I read

Beautiful boy

Beautiful boy - Grace R. Duncan I loved this story. The scenes got a bit old. I would have loved a bit more of the romantic relationship, but otherwise, it was exactly what I love in a BDSM romance.

The Convergence Theory

The Convergence Theory - Lia Cooper Wow! The frustration here was unbelievable! Soul-bounded mates kept apart. It seemed everyone was talking in circles around Ethan. That was so frustrating. And his refusal to see what was happening, like his mind was simply shut down. Yet, he was clearly suffering from the separation between them. I wanted to scream at everyone to just tell him. Gah! I gotta read book 3. I gotta get the the HEA. Cause this book ain't it either.

The Duality Paradigm (Book 1)

The Duality Paradigm (Book 1) - Lia Cooper WARNING: This book does not have a HEA. You must keep reading the trilogy. I'm so glad I have KU and am able to grab book 2 straight away. I love how Patrick and Ethan are coming together in this series.

Empty Nests

Empty Nests - Ada Maria Soto Ugh! To read the excerpt of book 2 or not. I do not have a copy of it. And I feel cheated. The story is only half over and I've finished the book. So to truly get the complete story I have to read the next book. I hate books like this! So frustrating.

Graham Ran Over A Reindeer

Graham Ran Over A Reindeer - Sterling Rivers Cute story. A bit cheesy at times. Needs some heavy proofing, but overall it was a fun read.

Status Update

Status Update - Annabeth Albert This book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book was fun! Who doesn't love a geeky love story. Ha! Adrian is a game developer. And Noah is one of his uber-fans. So cool! Noah is also a closeted professor. So closeted, he's even somewhat in the closet from himself! And they both have dogs. Even better.

Noah decides to be a good Samaritan and give Adrian a lift home for Thanksgiving when his new "boyfriend" leaves him stranded in an RV park in a snow storm. What an ass. He was such a whiny snot, it irritated me. I'm glad Adrian's interaction with him was minimal.

I love when a MC has a large, loving family. And while Adrian's family was large and somewhat non-supportive, you could clearly see that they loved him. I absolutely loved how caring and cautious Adrian was with Noah. It was so sweet, to see a couple that had more focus on the getting to know you and building a relationship, rather than just jumping straight into bed to get off.

I'm looking forward to more of this Gaymer series. :)

Witness

Witness - L.A. Gilbert This book was enjoyable. It was definitely low angst. But I just didn't feel much of a connection to the MC. I could tell they really loved each other but I didn't feel it. And the story jumped a bit at times and that threw me out of the story.

What Happens At Christmas

What Happens At Christmas - Jay Northcote Friends to lovers...the best.

Vespertine

Vespertine - Leta Blake, Indra Vaughn This book was awesome! I'm Catholic so it was nice to see Jasper so connected to his faith, even being gay. I think society today makes it seem like it's one or the other...being gay or being religious. But I don't think that's fair and it shouldn't be that way. I think the book dealt with the subject very well and I commend the authors for a job well done on such a risky topic.

Reclamation

Reclamation - Cari Z. Not a bad story, just wasn't really for me.

At War (The War Trilogy #1)

At War (The War Trilogy #1) - Andria Large, Megan Hershenson I do not like books that end in cliffhangers. If I know ahead of time that a book is like that, sometimes, that's enough to put me off a book. Especially serial type books.

Thankfully, in the case of this series, I have a KU account and was able to immediately download the next book. But of course that one ends in a cliffhanger as well.

Dumb Jock

Dumb Jock - Jeff Erno, Paul Richmond I have mixed feelings about this one. Although Brett was sincere in his feelings for Jeff, and there was nothing sinister there, I kept waiting for it. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was partly Jeff's immaturity about it. I'm glad there wasn't anything mean there. just two boys falling in love against the odds and society.

Thirty Things

Thirty Things - Cate Ashwood I loved how Nate was so matter-of-fact in his affection toward Finn. But it really would have been nice of him to actually come out and tell Finn how he was feeling. Sure, the trip was a fabulous idea and I get that he was afraid to ruin their friendship, but poor Finn was all a mess! Although maybe Nate was as well. We didn't get his POV so we have no idea what was really going through his mind.

I liked that not everything on the list was a hit, or worked out positively. Although some of it I think went a little too smoothly at times. But it's a story. Overall, it was very sweet. And I loved how affectionate and caring Nate was towards Finn. He was adorable.

A Pirate's Life for Me: Book One

A Pirate's Life for Me: Book One - Tricia Owens I don't know how I feel about this book. Here you have a guy who for all intents and purposes is straight. He lands a role unintentionally on a gay sex show on a paradise island. His regular life sucks so bad, he'd do anything to stay, even play the part of being gay.

Then he starts having all these reactions and feelings that he is uncomfortable with and doesn't like or understand. And his new "family" is being all too pushy and insensitive about the mess of emotions in his head. It bothered me how much they were pushing him to act a certain way when he's just coming to terms with his reactions and feelings. It wasn't very fair or nice. It made for a difficult read. I don't know if I can read the rest of this series. I would have enjoyed it more if his crewmates were supportive and encouraging rather than pressuring him and being nasty to him. I almost DNF this book.

Yes

Yes - Brad Boney I just love Brad Boney's universe. I have read all the books and they all involve a bit of magic and other/alternate lives and it's so cool. He is big on trivia and fun facts as well. This book had a heavy discussion on the history of gay porn as well as a game of Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy style. I really enjoyed it and hope to read more in this universe in the future.

Guarded

Guarded - Cat Grant, L.A. Witt This book was heavy. But I felt the weight of the characters' struggles. This was one dark, sad, and very emotional rollercoaster. But one I truly enjoyed reading. I wasn't expecting the heavy BDSM that was involved and was delighted because I'd been wanting to read a book like that.

I just finished and feel like I've been through the ringer and need some time to decompress from this story. But wow! Very good.

Currently reading

Fit to be Tied
Tristan James Mabry, Mary Calmes
Pain Slut
J.A. Rock