Monday Minis

SUPER eclectic mix today guys! Cyber punk M/M, contemporary M/f romance, YA thriller and a M/M sports romance. 

                                   

Apocalypse Alley (Blue Unicorn #2)by Don Allmon ~ Goodreads

Source: e-arc provided byt he published in exchange for an honest review

“Home from a six-month assignment to war-torn East Asia, genetically engineered supersoldier Noah "Comet" Wu just wants to kick back, share a beer, and talk shit with his best friend, JT. But JT's home has been shot up like a war zone, and his friend has gone missing.

Comet's only lead is a smart-mouthed criminal he finds amid the mess. His name's Buzz Howdy. He's a con man and a hacker and deserves to be in jail. Or in handcuffs, at least…”

My thoughts: I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Book #1 – The Glamour Thieves. The adrenaline rush and cool tech world is still there but there was almost too much of it being thrown at the reader rapid fire. It was hard to get a handle on it while also alternating with (much needed) background information coming at me.

Apocalypse Alley also follows a more traditional romance formula yet Comet and Buzz didn't resonate with me as much as JT and Austin did in book #1.

Having said that, I like the authors balls to the wall writing style even if not all of it worked for me. It was still a thrilling ride and I'm looking forward to the next book.



Mister McHottie and Stud in the Stacks by Pippa Grant ~ Goodreads

Source: Kindle Unlimited

My thoughts: These books are pure RomCom fun. Mister McHottie is second chance/hate to love, and Stud in the Stacks is fake relationship romance.

I liked Stud in the Stacks a bit more – maybe because the stud in question is a romance reader and reviewer 😍 – but Grant takes a joke or a double entendre and beats until there’s nothing left.

These books are funny and waaaaay over the top but intentionally and gleefully so. I had fun with them but the CONSTANT joking and nicknames for body parts sounded infantile and grated on me after a while.



Bad Girls with Perfect Faces by Lynn Weingarten ~ Goodreads

Source: Borrowed

“When Sasha’s best friend Xavier gets back together with his cheating ex, Ivy, Sasha knows she needs to protect him. So she poses as a guy online to lure Ivy away.
But Sasha’s plan goes sickeningly wrong. And she soon learns to be careful of who you pretend to be because you might be surprised by who you become…”

My thoughts: Super twisty novel. I liked the characters - *liked* might not be the right word because the characters are fucked up lol – but they were flawed yet you could see why they did the things they did to and for each other. But I felt like the author should have stuck with her core story instead of adding additional twists and turns, that while shocking, took away from a lot of issues that could have been explored more closely.

Greg from Book Haven liked it quite a bit more than I did and you can read his review here


Undone by You (Chicago Rebels #3) by Kate Meader ~ Goodreads

Source: e-arc provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

"USA TODAY bestselling author Kate Meader brings her signature “steamy sex scenes, colorful characters, and riveting dialogue” (RT Book Reviews) to this novella in the Chicago Rebels series, following the general manager of the Rebels as he scores with one of his players off the ice."

My thoughts: Meader’s couples always have the best chemistry! Dante and Cade were no exception. I  loved this one at first, but the second half lagged in comparison and Dante was kind of a jerk - I understand a lot of his misgivings (he was Cade’s boss and had been in a relationship with another closeted gay man before and wasn’t looking for a repeat) but he was running so hot and cold I was annoyed.

Overall really good though. If you like Kate Meader or this series (there are a lot of cameos) - you should enjoy this one as well.