Review: Sin and Tonic by Rhys Ford

SIN and TONIC (Sinners #6) by Rhys Ford
Dreamspinner Press, Goodreads, Amazon
Novel: 270pgs

4 Pants Off

Blurb: Miki St. John believed happy endings only existed in fairy tales until his life took a few unexpected turns… and now he’s found his own.

His best friend, Damien, is back from the dead, and their new band, Crossroads Gin, is soaring up the charts. Miki’s got a solid, loving partner named Kane Morgan—an Inspector with SFPD whose enormous Irish family has embraced him as one of their own—and his dog, Dude, at his side.

It’s a pity someone’s trying to kill him.

Old loyalties and even older grudges emerge from Chinatown’s murky, mysterious past, and Miki struggles to deal with his dead mother’s abandonment, her secrets, and her brutal murder while he’s hunted by an enigmatic killer who may have ties to her.

The case lands in Kane’s lap, and he and Miki are caught in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. When Miki is forced to face his personal demons and the horrors of his childhood, only one thing is certain: the rock star and his cop are determined to fight for their future and survive the evils lurking in Miki’s past.

Review

NOW ITS TIME TO SAY GOODBYE!

 And an era has come to a close. Our boys are now men (well…) and people are still out here trying to kill everybody. 

Miki St John haven’t had the best run at life, and while there has been really good things like falling in love with the man of his dreams Kane, and having his best friend back who he thought had died Damien. So yes, shit has hit all the proverbial fans with him but there’s so much good he’s been given and yet his past is always behind him like a shadow of death following him everywhere and now someone wants him dead once and for all. While he's lived in his bubble over never facing his mental issues and ignoring all the things that got him to where he is right at this very moment, the jig is up and it’s time to face the music, the songs of his past and the beats of his future. Miki St John will not go out without a fight and he’s got family, he’s got friends, he’s got Kane. 

If you’re like me and have been with the boys from the beginning then you know all this was meant to happen. People have been trying to kill Miki from way back when and now we finally know why, now Miki finally knows why. Done in Rhys Fords usual dramatic flair and Sin and Tonic kept you on your toes and had you anticipating when the final shoe will drop. 

What worked for series at one point, kind of worked against this story. Don’t get me wrong I love Miki and Kane but by the middle of the book I was like “his ass gon die just now”. Miki being stubborn was no longer cute and just downright annoying. He knows if he moves something blows up, so I don’t know why he couldn’t just understand to keep his ass at home. I get it, he’s independent and does what he wants but he forever be putting himself and innocent people in harms way. The big climax was a bit of a disappointment because I saw it coming. Like people out in the streets trying to kill Miki but you gon leave him at home all by his lonesome (oh bad guy what a big gun you have).  

Upside, I love seeing his growth. Forever he been avoiding everything and in the process pushing people away and unraveling, so to see him getting the help he finally needs is just “bless up”. Lots of loose ends gets all tied up and finally we know how Miki St John came to be and how his past lead him to the future he has now. 

Overall, a nice wrap up to a wonderful series. From Sinners Gin to to Sin and Tonic the entire series has been a wonderful series filled with violence, music, and most of all heart. What a ride it has been to watch all these men fall in love and find family in the process. Regardless of past and situations music brought them together and music kept them together. It’s been a pleasure Miki St John, Kane, Connor, Forest, Damien, Rafe, Quinn, Sionn, and the entire Morgan clan. 

Review: Book #1 Sinners Gin

Review: Book #2 Whiskey & Wry

Review: Book #3 Tequila Mockingbird

Review: Book #4 Sloe Ride 

Review: Book #5 Absinthe of Malice

 

Review: Alpha Heat by Leta Blake

Alpha Heat (Heat of Love #2) by Leta Blake
Amazon, Goodreads
Novel: 424pgs

4 Pants Off

Blurb: A desperate young alpha. An older alpha with a hero complex. A forbidden love that can’t be denied.

Young Xan Heelies knows he can never have what he truly wants: a passionate romance and happy-ever-after with another alpha. It’s not only forbidden by the prevailing faith of the land, but such acts are illegal.

Urho Chase is a middle-aged alpha with a heartbreaking past. Careful, controlled, and steadfast, his friends dub him old-fashioned and staid. When Urho discovers a dangerous side to Xan’s life that he never imagined, his world is rocked and he’s consumed by desire. The carefully sewn seams that held him together after the loss of his omega and son come apart—and so does he.

But to love each other and make a life together, Xan and Urho risk utter ruin. With the acceptance and support of Caleb, Xan’s asexual and aromantic omega and dear friend, they must find the strength to embrace danger and build the family they deserve.

This gay romance novel by Leta Blake is the second in the Slow Heat universe. It’s 130,000 words, with a strong happy ending and a well-crafted, non-shifter Omegaverse. It features alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, heat, and knotting. No cheating. Content warning for brief sexual violence.

Review

ALPHA SIZED OMEGA

All the ways I was excited to read this after falling truly, madly, deeply in love with the first book Slow Heat. Alpha Heat was very much on my radar featuring two characters that really pissed me off but who I eventually grew to like. Alpha Heat brought the sexy but it also brought heart. 

Xan Heelies is a young Alpha who doesn’t feel like an alpha. For his entire life Xan has known that he doesn’t fit the make and model of what an alpha should be. His desires are forbidden and will never be looked at favourably because you see Xan knows with every fibre of his being that he’s an Omega and though the world sees Alpha it’s the one thing he can never be truly. Xan slates his desire in the worst way possible and it often leaves him bloody and bruised. He once felt loved when he was with his best-friend but his friend found his own omega, his one true mate. Yet, Xan has to live an Alpha life and that means having his own omega and producing children regardless of what he feels inside. Then there is Urho, all that is Alpha and man  Xan yearns for but what Alpha would want a man that’s broken and is only an Omega in feeling. 

“I don’t think what’s wrong with me is something that can ever heal.” 

Urho lost his true mate (erosgape) a long time ago and his long time lover not too long ago. His life is pretty much picturesque and he’s fulfilled by his job and friends. He’s old fashioned and set in his ways and that does cause some strife between him and his friends but no one gets to him like Xan, Xan the mouthy Alpha who invokes feelings in him that he has no business feeling. And mostly it makes him angry because the things he wants is not allowed. 

A chance meeting between the men lead to some awful truths and also some inevitable ones. If Urho can give Xan what he needs then he can also keep him safe and besides he’s realizing that it’s also something he craves and one things for sure his alpha sized omega will be his undoing.  

Together they navigate a forbidden attraction and pair that with Xans contracted but asexual omega and you have a unique story filled with many delights. For me the first 50% was hot as hell and so incredibly sexy. The push pull dance between Urho and Xan was done so well I think I almost passed out from holding my breath for a few minutes. That part was done amazingly and yet it really started to fizzle out for me, not so much where it wasn’t enjoyable but enough for it to lose what made it exciting. 

As I mentioned I didn’t much like Xan when first introduced but he turned out to be a multilayered character, and Urho was just Urho (which is surprising because I couldn’t stand him in book 1. He was a obnoxious, condescending prick) a great fit for Xan and an even better alpha for him. Throw in characters that I’ve come to love and new ones that I’m starting to appreciate and you have a solid second story in the ABO verse.  

I did have a few things I didn’t like. First, I caught Xan in many lies and then he sorta just brushed it over. Second, how you gon feel it’s ok to be beaten to an inch of your life and think that’s ok because you “need” sex, I’m sure there’s many avenues he could have gone and I’m trying to understand why it had to be him 🤔. Third, how Mr abuser was conveniently handled but also how it felt like what he did was no big deal (The he was a problem, we made him more of a problem and then snipered him out). Fourth, and this really bothered me. The description of Urho being dark skinned but I’ve been trying to figure exactly what that means. Dark skinned as in black man, dark skinned as being south Asian or just dark skinned as being tanner than the other characters? Representation is an important thing and I found that with not saying exactly what he was just felt like avoidance, but that’s just my opinion. Last but not least the crazy ending there. It followed the same pattern of the first book where all the crazy just happen at once and I wasn’t checking for that.. 

Overall, I still very much liked this story and while I didn’t fall in love like I did the first book, I still really liked it. It missed it mark by trying to follow the same steps or setup and what worked for a Slow Heat didn’t work for this one but it’s still an enjoyable story. If you’re like me and love Mpreg and Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics then this series is definitely something to check out. 

SideNote: I need this on Audio asap. Michael F. I’m looking at you baby 😁

Review: Book #1 Slow Heat

Review: Absinthe of Malice by Rhys Ford

Absinthe of Malice (Sinners #5) by Rhys Ford
Dreamspinner Press, Goodreads, Amazon
Novel: 200pgs

3.5 Pants Off

Blurb: We’re getting the band back together.

Those six words send a chill down Miki St. John’s spine, especially when they’re spoken with a nearly religious fervor by his brother-in-all-but-blood, Damien Mitchell. However, those words were nothing compared to what Damien says next.

And we’re going on tour.

When Crossroads Gin hits the road, Damien hopes it will draw them closer together. There’s something magical about being on tour, especially when traveling in a van with no roadies, managers, or lovers to act as a buffer. The band is already close, but Damien knows they can be more—brothers of sorts, bound not only by familial ties but by their intense love for music.

As they travel from gig to gig, the band is haunted by past mistakes and personal demons, but they forge on. For Miki, Damie, Forest, and Rafe, the stage is where they all truly come alive, and the music they play is as important to them as the air they breathe.

But those demons and troubles won’t leave them alone, and with every mile under their belts, the band faces its greatest challenge—overcoming their deepest flaws and not killing one another along the way.

Review

A STORY WAS ABSINTHE

So the 5th book in the Sinners series and like the 4th book I didn’t like it a hell of a lot. While I understand the reason for this book because of course it’s the setup to the finale. There was just a whole lot of nothing IMO. 

The band is back on. Made up of the lovers of the Morgan family Miki St John and Damien decide to put the old band back together. No longer Sinners Gin but Crossroads Gin And their tour is one of rebirth and moving forward. Too bad the past won’t stay dead and someone is dead set on hindering their future. 

What I like: I loved getting glimpses into the lives of the boys and their significant others. Life on the road can be tough and so I just really enjoyed seeing their vulnerability and the strong sense of family they all have.  

A realistic approach to their issues. Especially dealing with Miki and Rafe, it was great to see them face their problems head on and finally start asking for help. Miki has been a head case since the beginning of time and I for one am hella happy he’s realizing that his thought process is a tad bit unhealthy.  

Throw in the mystery, the crazy that comes with most Rhys Ford book, and some steamy scenes and you have a nicely balanced book. 

I’d like to make this Public Service Announcement…I live for Forest and Connor. They have captured my heart and their book is my fave, Connor is my fave Morgan and I need an invite to the wedding.  

What I didn’t like: How easily I know that things will go boom. For once I’d like to be surprised and things don’t go the expected OTT route.  

I feel like a whole lot of nothing happened until the very end here and then I was excited again. I am looking forward to the final book in the series and I already know it’s going to go down. I’m gonna need everything wrapped up in a neat little bow, and for Miki to get his basket of a mind weaved a little tighter.  

Overall, another entertaining read which was just a nice little glimpse into the lives of the men we’ve grown to love.

Review: Book #1 Sinners Gin

Review: Book #2 Whiskey & Wry

Review: Book #3 Tequila Mockingbird

Review: Book #4 Sloe Ride

 

Review: Kiss Your Scars by Avril Ashton

Kiss Your Scars (Loose Ends, #3) by Avril Ashton
Amazon
Novel: 368pgs

5+++++++ Pants Off

Blurb: Being the king of Atlanta’s underworld used to have its perks, but lately all undercover agent Renzo Vega has seen is the downside. Someone is auctioning off women in his city, and he’s damn sure not about to let that offense stand. Just as he’s set to make a move, Renzo’s club is ambushed and he’s shot. Unsure of who to trust, he turns to the one man he definitely knows wants him dead. 

Yanked from his bed, blindfolded and spirited away in the middle of the night, Lowell Scott is shocked to find the darkly gorgeous Renzo bleeding and in need of his help. The very last thing he wants is to come to the aid of the man responsible for his cousin’s death, but the knife at his throat doesn’t give Low much options. 

Close proximity doesn’t temper the hatred Low harbors for Renzo, it only brings up new problems. Like the vicious attraction Low struggles to control, and bullets that won’t stop flying. It’s a tough sell to believe there’s anything good in a man as unapologetically dangerous as Renzo. And even if Low could forgive the unforgivable, Renzo is still shadowed in secrets. When they’re exposed, those secrets will bring far-reaching consequences that could sever not just their shaky bond, but Low’s family ties as well.

This is book three in the Loose Ends series, but can be read as a standalone

Warning: Contains references to subjects that may be triggering. Please read with caution

Review

KISS YOUR RENZOOOOO

I don’t know if I can write a review for this. I love it so freaking much!! My favourite in the series no freaking challengers.  

All I wanna do is run through the streets screaming Renzooooooooo. Like I don’t acquire much book boyfriends but for the few I have, Renzo is in the top 10. This man had me swooning and floundering around on my bed like some teenage girl. 

Renzooooooooooo 

So through most of Ms Avril Ashton books we have been hearing the name Renzo Vega, and now we finally get his story. And what a sad story it was, having suffer great abuse from the hands of a monster and taken away from his family. But Renzo turned out to be a survivor and now he’s one of Atlanta’s most feared criminals. He’s still haunted by his past and it affects him greatly, but even though he moves in the dark he still manages to bring light to some caught suffering through abuse. He bad, but he also good. 

“But the fact was, the waiting had come to an end. He was about to fuck up Low’s life.” 

When he gets a whiff of Lowell Scott he knows that the man is his, too bad Low hates his guts and can’t stand sigh of him. But hate can’t stop overflowing chemistry and Low gets damn putty in his hands. Low hates him for one reason only; and blames him for the death of his cousin who was also his best friend. Too freaking bad for all that, Renzo is out to get his man. 

“Because you and I, Lowell Scott? We’re about to burn each other to the ground, and I will speak your fucking name when I’m covered in the ashes of us”.  

Low moves in his own shadows keeping the secret of his sexuality from his Caribbean family who have very wrong misconceptions about gay men and homosexuality. While he hides who he is, he also hides how he is feels for one Renzo Vega. The man isn’t someone he should want but his treacherous body isn’t taking the cue. Low has fought for a long time to resist Renzo and its taking care of the man's broken body that leads him to a realization that he can’t not be with Renzo, and for that man he’s willing to lose the love of his family. While Renzo might be used to the shadows Low refuses to keep him there.   

“You-You’re a criminal.” He was the only person who required that reminder. 

“That’s Right.” Renzo murmured at his ear. “And I’ll fuck you like one, too”. 

I don’t even know what happened in this book my mind was just strictly all Renzo. Again Ms Ashton is good with the words, like sex is all good ad shit but the things my Renzo be spitting had me damn near weak for the entire book. Like plot pops up and all that but in all its entirety it could have just been Renzo saying shit and I’d still be uber happy. 

“Will you call me Daddy, Low?” 

The books goes to some serious topics, such as child sexual abuse and growing up in a Caribbean family while also being gay. I’m just gonna touch on the Caribbean stuff, being Jamaican myself and growing up hearing the harsh things said about gay men. The bible and god always come into play when discussing sexuality and the labeling of them deviants akin to those of pedophiles. So, reading about it in Kiss Your Scars was like my little old self listening in on adult conversations as a kid. Not quite understanding but knowing that without a doubt it was something they hated. So, Low’s struggle is not just fiction it’s real life things that gay men of a Caribbean background have to navigate.  

I just had a real connection with this one, with the food, with the family values and just the overall tone. Another culturally diverse book with two MC of colour and I am on the win. Always gonna give props to the author for her books, love or hate her work she’s one of few giving you black heroes, giving you Latino heroes and then writing them as couples. Then giving you both sides of what it’s like to be a person of colour from many backgrounds.  

Also Renzo!!  

There’s a scene in the book that caused the complete disintegration of panties, and that was the elevator scene. If you know about Caribbean people then you know how we dance and Low putting it on Renzo like that. Deceased!! 

Hands down my fave in the entire series. I love Renzo he’s a beautiful man and I am planning on how to steal his ass from Low 😈. Kiss Your Scars was a good finale to a series that I really enjoyed and while I’m sad to see it end. I’m looking hella forward to what’s to come, because my man Renzo got friends and his friends need to fall in love.  

SideNote- I do have a little problem with something in the book. So Renzo has suffered great abuse, I’m talking things no child should face, but he made it to adulthood without extensive therapy. I find that way too disbelieving. He was a god damn mess and needed help and it just irks me when things like that don’t get addressed. Renzo get your ass some help please!!!!

Review: Book 0.5 All These Hidden Scars

Review: Book #1 Scars and Secrets

Review: Book #2 Scars and Ruin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Songs
Feel It by Jacquees 
Drip by Cardi B, Migos
DayDream by J-Hope 
Don't by Bryson Tiller