Review: Call The Coroner by Avril Ashton

Call The Coroner by Avril Ashton
Self-Published
Novel: 351pgs

4.5 Pants Off

Blurb: A clash of wills between predators…

He’s been living underground for a long time, but the only thing guaranteed to bring Daniel Nieto back to the surface is the identity of his wife’s killer. With the whisper of one name, he puts it all on the line for vengeance. He’s got plans for Stavros Konstantinou.

The title of monster fits too well for Stavros to want to be anything other than what he is. Time spent in Daniel Nieto’s dungeon, chained and tortured, will never change that. Starved of food, sunlight and freedom, he waits for an opening to turn the tables on the only man who’s ever come close enough to scare him.

Somewhere between the slide of knife against skin, and the drip of blood on cold concrete, things change. Grief and hatred collide with lust and obsession, and this time Daniel and Stavros are on the same side. This time, they’re fighting a losing battle against a connection forged by much more than a love of violence and bloodshed.

In a war this bloodied, what do you do when the bodies start hitting the floor?

**Warning: Gun play, knife play, blood play, breath play. Non Con, Dub Con. Water sports. Triggers**

Review

CALL THE CARDIOLOGIST

This book, this fucking book man. 

I worship at your feet, cus you deserve some praises. 

Something happened when they got in the same room. When their eyes met. When they breathed the same air. A dangerously potent something. 

The names Daniel Nieto and Stavros Konstantinou comes up a lot during the Loose Ends series and you don’t really get a feel for their characters apart from they are dudes that are both dangerous and feared. Well these two unlikely heroes with a sordid history decided that they were going to break convention and rock the boat. Is there a title more fitting than Call the Coroner (cus dead)? Maybe a Call the Cardiologist could be a close second. 

Daniel Nieto has got revenge on his mind, and he’s been hiding in the shadows for his one opportunity to bring Stavros to his knees. The mercenary took something very precious from him and Daniel is going to make him pay. Kidnapping Stavros is easy work and thus begins Daniels revenge of breaking the man responsible for breaking his heart and world.  

What he never anticipated was trying to break Stavros would involve also breaking him. Stavros bleeds so prettily, his body covered in bruises and scars put their by his own hands is a work of art, because he can bend him but the Greek won’t break. Holding this man captive should make Daniel feel lighter but why does he feel like he’s the one being held hostage. 

“You like it when I bleed.” Even to his ears, his words were shakier than normal. Faint.  

“You do it so well.” Daniel’s sounded weirdly proud, like he approved of the rivulets soaking Stavros’ hip and the tiny puddle congealing next to them. “Also it brings me such pleasure, watching you suffer.” Stavros was fading, but he brought his bloodied fingers to his mouth, licking the red away one by one—was it all his, or maybe some of Daniel’s blood was mixed up in there, too?—as he held Daniel’s gaze. “It brings me pleasure…” His voice got softer and softer, slurring, vision narrowing down to the man next to him who wore Stavros’ death mark tattooed around his neck. The man with impenetrable eyes and that beautifully cruel mouth. “Watching you try.” 

This was meant to be easy, his rage was meant to drive him to kill, to maim but life has a way of fucking with you and Daniel was never expecting to need the person who left him wanting in the first place. Big bad Daniel Nieto is used to bringing men to their knees but for Stavros he would gladly get on his. He’s starting to realize for Stavros, there really isn’t anything he wouldn’t do. 

Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer, heh keep this enemy close enough to fuck at least. 

This is such an enemies to lovers story it’s crazy. The initial reaction how can these two men get past the pain they have caused each other and get to somewhere even close to “like”. What you never forget is how ruthless these men are, they will stop at nothing to take what they feel is rightly theirs. They will harm/kill anyone that has wronged them in some way, and most of all they will burn everything ground trying to keep them apart.  

If you don’t already know this, well you gon learn today. I love crazy, I love ruthless, I love bad boy criminal types who never try for any type of redemption. This is what I love about Avril's books. These guys are dangerous, they remain dangerous and I freaking love it. 

Again I will bring up the diversity that can be found in all of this author books. It’s freaking important and you can tell the author knows her stuff. I will give it all the stars ⭐️ for that reason alone. 

Call the Coroner was amazing and I freaking love it. I never get tired of sex scenes in a Ashton book. I’m a skimmer of sex scenes in mostly all the books I read, for me it’s all about words and this book had words. Like some sexy shit gets said and I swear its spoiling me (if you ain’t talking dirty I don’t wanna talk).  

Overall, I LOVE IT. THAT IS ALL…

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Songs

Baby Don't Stop by NCT U 

Danger by BTS 

Review: Trial by Fire by BA Tortuga

Trial by Fire (Dreamspun Desires #6) by BA Tortuga
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 228pgs

2.5 Pants Off

Blurb: One Aussie. One Texan. One baby. One hell of a fight.

When his sister and her husband are killed in an accident, Aussie cattle station owner Lachlan McCoughney rushes to Texas to rescue their infant daughter, Chloe. He expects to find his niece living in squalor with the Sheffields, a rodeo family.

Instead, Lachlan finds Holden Sheffield, a salt-of-the-earth cowboy running a huge business operation. They want to explore their mutual attraction despite the many problems thrown their way, and together, they must find a way to give Chloe a new family and find a love that spans thousands of acres and two continents.

Review

SO MUCH GRAVY NOT ENOUGH BISCUITS

In all the years I’ve been reading m/m books and all the years B.A Tortuga has been writing m/m this is my very first time reading the author. If “Trial by Fire” is the usual fare can I honestly say that I haven’t t been missing much or is it a case that I might have been missing all too much. This book had melodrama coming out of its wazoo. Daytime soap opera type shiiiii…. 

Lachlan has been searching for his sister for many years, and when he finally gets a call that she’s been located, but it comes with news that he wasn’t really expecting. His sister has perished in a plane crash along with her husband leaving behind a daughter, a niece he wants to meet and become an uncle to. That means navigating the family his sister married into, one thing is for damn sure he’ll leaving the heart of Texas with his niece.  

What then transpires is drama of epic intents. My head was reeling with the amount of crazy that was going down. This book had the plane crash, a baby-napping for ransom for 10 million dollars (cue Dr Evil finger to the mouth), and straight up all out shooting. All this went down in the first 60% of the book.  

Then there is Lachlan and Holden. Holden being the legal guardian of the little girl and twin brother of the husband to his sister 😒. They be hating each other but they also be loving each other, because nothing brings two people closer together than a kidnapping. It’s a dramatic mess of epic proportions and kept reading for the sole purpose of how much more ridiculous can it get. Turmoil is thrown in from both Lachlan and Holden’s parents who can’t seem to compromise on how the baby should be raised, while also dealing with the budding relationship of love between Holden and Lachlan. Their love is fast like a mustang in the wind.  

Overall, this was a very harlequinesque type read with crazy thrown in for plot device while offering a very mediocre story. There was a lot somethings without any actual answers to most of it. I found the writing alright but I couldn’t take anything seriously, the dialogue was over the top and more comedic than entertaining. Cowboys speak is a hell of thing!! 

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Review Writing Songs
Redbone by Childish Gambino
MIC Drop by BTS, Steve Aoki
DNA by BTS

Review: The Winning Edge by Keira Andrews

The Winning Edge (Cold War #1-2) by Keira Andrews
Amazon
Novel: 214pgs

3.5 Pants Off

Blurb: After an explosive locker room confrontation with his Russian rival ends in the most intense sex of his life, American pairs skater Dev Avira is distracted to say the least. He’s worked for years to have a chance at Olympic gold, and he can’t let himself—or his partner—down. Playing cat and mouse with the steely and smoldering Mikhail Reznikov is the last thing he needs as he prepares for the biggest competition of his life, but they can’t keep their hands off each other as the Games approach.

Dev soon learns that beneath Mikhail’s arrogant and aloof exterior is Misha, a passionate man who warms Dev’s heart and scorches his bed. They’re both determined to win, but for Misha his freedom could be at stake if he and his partner take anything less than gold. Who will stand atop the podium? And can secret lovers from different worlds make a life together once the competition ends? 
 
This gay sports romance from Keira Andrews features enemies to lovers, two alpha men, sequins, and of course a happy ending. Content previously published as novellas Cold War and Holding the Edge.

Review

Causing An Ice Melting

I’ve only read one Keira Andrew’s book previously and really liked it, so when I saw there was a figure skating romance being offered up by the author I had to jump on (Yuri on Ice feels anyone). This is also a enemies (rivals) to lovers story. Let’s just say, I don’t understand how they even had ice to skate on because things were hot, hot, hawt! 

Dev wants to be a champion on the ice, he wants the gold for him and his partner but theres a team stopping him from achieving his dream and it’s the Russians. The team also has Mikhail Reznikov, colder than the ice he skates on and crazy beautiful. Dev is feeling things he shouldn’t and his eyes should be on the prize and not gloriousity that is Mikhail’s ass. When an angry encounter leads to some mutual getting off, Dev has more to worry about than winning a competition he now has to protect his heart from the cold. 

Mikhail is seen as cold and aloof and he’s accepted that. He’s got a job to do and that’s winning gold at the olympics. Its not that he wants to win its that he needs to win at all cost. He has no love for skating anymore, its become a way to keep his family safe to keep himself safe but Dev Avira has come and put a chink in his plan. Their chemistry is molten and Mikhail is putting all that he is in jeopardy but staying away from Dev is impossibly hard. He makes him need! 

The book is broken down in two parts and honestly I liked the first part a lot more. It had intensity, excitement, and a taste of the forbidden. Dev and Misha are fighting an attraction that neither of them needs, but the chemistry is so delicious and risks behind it is all so electrifying. I loved their coming together and the apprehension that Dev faces knowing that his ass and mind should be on the ice and not on Misha (easier said than done). 

The second part, while alright is not without it's faults. This is where the story hit a plateau for me. There was all this excitement in the first part and the second became a repetitive storyline about why they shouldn’t be together. The sex, sizzling but that dirty talk got me feeling some sort of way. Like some badly produced porn with dialogue, I could not deal. I was all “no more talkie, please no more talkie”. I was all on board for them having their happy ending, but the balance was off and by the end their I was just waiting for it to be over.  

Overall, I liked the story. In the beginning I was loving the story, loving the figure skating just loving it all but by the end there it was falling apart for me. The conflict was dragged out and then came together with an anti-climatic reveal. So this one was just an alright read for me, sucks cus I really dig the figure skating.

SideNote- Big applause for representation. It is great o see a person of colour on the cover and also represented in the book.

Review: Battle of Will by Sasha L. Miller

Reviewed by Fehu
Battle of Will by Sasha L. Miller
Less Than 3 Press
Novel
4.5 Pants Off

Blurb:
At a memorial service meant to honor the dead and mark the beginning of a truce between Skirfall and Morcia, Ackley spies a figure who does not belong—a mage interrogator whose presence will only cause harm should the Morcians realize who he is and all the people he has tortured. But the problem rapidly grows much worse than that when Ackley realizes his true purpose is assassination of the Morcian crown prince—an assassination Ackley prevents, but at great cost.

Banished from his own country, bound magically to the crown prince of his enemies, Ackley is certain of just one thing: whether he can figure out how to break the spell or not, his death is assured.

Note: This story is part of LT3's Serial Fiction line

Short Review
This story has a lot of action and not the one in bed. I really enjoyed seeing how two enemies have become friends and slowly progressed to lovers. Battle of Will is a great fantasy story first and it just happens to have two male protagonists. There is a great plot with danger, magic, treason and treachery.

Ackley was a bodyguard to a prince before he was banished and unwillingly has become bound to another. I liked Ackley, how he didn't behave differently just because he was with a prince and talked back. He didn't just roll over or let the prince do as he pleases. Actually the mentioned prince wasn't bad either, he was not a selfish prat and actually did realise his feelings for Ackley before it was too late.

The plots against them, there quite interesting and I really enjoyed the mystery of discovering the traitor. Here also lies my only complaint or a reason for a sequel: A traitor was a big deal and he made a lot of things happen, I find it a bit unbelievable, that it was just this one person and that there were not more people involved. The matter was dropped and not mentioned again and considering how long it took them to find the one who murdered a king, well the matter was solved too easy in the end.

Otherwise I loved this book; it had great characters, an interesting plot and some pretty good writing.

4.5 Pants Off

Review: Love Rivals by Shayla Mist

Reviewed by Fehu
Love Rivals by Shayla Mist
Less Than 3 Press
Short Story
3.75 Pants Off

Blurb:
Aiden has a crush on Shawn, but there are two problems in the way of the happily ever after he knows they're meant to have. The first is Shawn's new boyfriend, Noah. The second is Jordan, Shawn's best friend and Aiden's long-standing rival for his affections. So how's a man to overcome such obstacles?

Not by accidentally sleeping with his rival. And not by going on the camping trip from hell, where Aiden swiftly loses track of what it is he really wants.



Review
Not quite what I expected, but still interesting, it just had a few twist I'm dubious about.

Aiden is interested in Shawn, but Shawn's best friend Jordan, also is in love with Shawn. Shawn is of course totally oblivious about the private war going on between Jordan and Aiden and decides that they must like each other and tries to help them along. A trip in the wilderness is becoming Aiden's personal hell, but of course he had to go, since Shawn asked him and Jordan would be there. He couldn't lose to Jordan. No one counted on Noah, as in Shawn's boyfriend Noah. Now the two rivals have to work together to win Shawn back or at least make Noah go away.

First of all I'd like to differentiate, that while I might not have liked all about the characters and their behavior, I still liked the book. Of course my not 100% liking the characters did take some of my enjoyment, but all in all I think this story was really promising and if given more time to develop, might have been better. The ending was a bit abrupt and all was wrapped up to quick and easy. I really liked the beginning and I can honestly say I wasn't bored with this story. It's nicely written and it was very easy to fall into the story and follow the characters. Truly aside from the characters moral code, my only problem with this book is that all things progress to quick. Jordan falls for Aiden pretty quick, considering he was in love with his best friend for a long time. I thought the plot and the premise were quite intriguing and for the most part the story delivered what it promised.

Characters are the heart of a story and for such a short story Aiden and Jordan, were quite well fleshed out. I had some problems with Aiden's behaviour towards Noah, especially when he drugged him with sleeping pills; I think there should have been another solution, since Aiden wasn't the evil guy in this story, but one of main protagonist. There wasn't enough time left for him to redeem himself after that.

All in all I thought the story showed a lot of promise: the writing and the dialogs were for the most part engaging and you could feel the tension between Aiden and Jordan. It was easy to get into the story and the characters did capture my attention in the beginning. A bit more page time would have been needed to pull this off, with a more satisfying conclusion. Still it was a nice read!