Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name.
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Destruction
Abrianna Denae & Leigh Kenzie (Crimson Bonds #1)
What’s better than one sprawling, kinky, interconnected mafia family? Two, obviously. Though the individual series by Denae and Kenzie have distinct themes and vibes, these authors combine them brilliantly and each bring their strengths to the debut book of this new adventure. This isn’t simply a tale of two families forced to work together to defeat a common foe — the families slowly start to meld in other, unexpected ways that bring intriguing new facets to what could have simply been two authors playing in each other’s sandboxes. Though this first book only scrapes the surface of the overarching plot, I’m already completely invested in how these familiar characters will continue to develop over the course of the series. If you enjoy either series by these authors, this continuation is not to be missed.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the authors.
Lucky Boys
Rowan Kingston (Il Fortunato #1)
There’s a lot going on in this story: a lot of characters, a lot of individual and group dynamics, and a lot of external plot. That being said, Kingston does an excellent job presenting each of these things in a balanced and cohesive manner. They rely on the reader to accept a lot of backstory filtered through the biased perspectives of the characters rather than trying to fit in every detail through flashback or info-dumping. Another element of this story I especially appreciated is that the intensity and importance of the external plot also directly affected the development of various relationships, bringing an element of realism to how messy life can be with so much going on, despite everyone’s best intentions. The true romance of this book, despite being far from a traditional romance arc in any sense, is how each character did their best to support the other members of their found family in their various unique needs. This book won’t be for everyone, but it hit my sweet spot perfectly with nontraditional dynamics, a healthy dose of kink, and fun action/adventure. I can’t wait for the next installment of this series!
Saving You
E.M. Lindsey (Words We Never Said #6)
I’ve established in plenty of previous reviews of this author that Lindsey is phenomenal at crafting characters from less-represented communities. One of the ways they do this so well is that, like all characters should be, their heroes are both more than the single facet that sets them apart and they never shy away from digging into the less pleasant aspects of an identity. The angst of this hurt/comfort book stems mainly from Oz’s traumatic past and ongoing present with his discriminatory and narcissistic family, in ways that can be sadly familiar to any reader, not just those who share the Deaf community that Oz has tried to embrace despite his family. In contrast, Ridge is almost TOO perfect in this story, which includes being perfect for Oz in so many ways. So, the rest of the angst in this book develops from how aware Oz is of this fact and tries to hide from it. Oz is more than deserving of this perfection, however, and the different ways they end up coming together (emotionally and physically) are all the more satisfying as we also share in Oz’s initial steps toward healing along the way.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.
Gluttony
Sienna Moreau (Seven Deadly Sins #2)
The first book in this series introduces us to a fascinating open-world urban fantasy setting and gives us a glimpse into the lives of the Sins and the global empire they rule. I was already invested, but book 2 blows this world wide open and adds amazing depth and intrigue to the external plot arc. The romance of this story is also much different from the first, with less overt spice and more deliciously heart-wrenching angst; however, both books would suffer from an unfair comparison when they have such different stories to tell. I’m especially interested in Moreau’s unique takes on each of the Sins and their accompanying powers, separating them from traditional religious associations and developing a brand-new mythology that lends excellent development to both the external conflict and current and future romance arcs for this series. We’ve already gotten hints of how dramatic the next story will be, and I can’t wait to read more in this world to see where this epic adventure goes.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.
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