Author: nicholasjgoodsell

Erotica, LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Fair Catch (Leighton U #3): by CE Ricci

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Publish Date: August 30th, 2024
Number of Pages: 444 Pages
Publisher: Deserted Press LLC
Genre(s): MM romance, LGBT+, New Adult Romance

*Please Note, each book in this series is a standalone story, so no worries as much about spoilers*

To see my review of book 1 – Iced Out – Click HERE

To see my review of book 2 – Caught Stealing – Click HERE

~~~

Total Star Rating: 4 Stars

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

Taking in Kason Fuller as roommate is meant to be a favor; one I regret immediately. The bumbling, virgin football player drives me to the brink of sanity, stealing my food, my sleep, my peace and solitude. My solution? Call a ceasefire. Get him out on dates and out of my hair. Yet as our truce shifts, I realize there’s a depth to this connection unlike any I’ve felt before.

It turns out, I don’t mind his presence. I crave it, along with every morsel I learn about him. But falling for the guy from the wrong side of the tracks wasn’t in the cards. And I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Now, I’m at a crossroads between the life I thought I’d have, or risking everything to catch him.

~~~

If you’re a fan of CE Ricci books, I feel like this one will continue to not disappoint you in her MM romance-type books!

This title felt different than all the other books I’ve read by her because of its slower burn with the couple of Kason and Hayes. There was spice for sure, but the big difference for me was that there were a lot more softer moments between them too. Their relationship dynamic shifted very organically from reluctant roommates to friends to lovers, and it was freakin’ adorable to see them slowly grow closer and closer to each other and gain that intimacy and trust between them, which makes sense since one of the characters turns out to be demisexual!

The demisexual representation was a huge highlight for me, one because its an asexual orientation that I feel like I’m possibly myself and that it was a huge reason for how this relationship dynamic was handled and also how it was explained too.

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. The Demisexual Representation! Demisexuals are slowly getting more and more recognition in romance books, and this book is the second one I’ve come to notice with this specific sort of representation.
  2. The Slowburn Romance! This romance in this book was at much slower pace than the other CE Ricci books I’ve read, and I think that really makes this one stand out more too
  3. The Softer Romantic Moments! Like it being one of the slower paced books she’s written, it’s also probably the softest book she’s written too. At least, it is amongst the books of hers I’ve written.
  4. Sneaking in the Easter Eggs for the Next Books! Considering I know who the couple is for the next book, I liked the subtle set up for it that you can catch in this book too, and will probably intertwine a little bit too!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. The Parents Involvement in the 3rd Act Breakup… I will admit, the snooty rich parents coming between the couple and making them choose between them and inheritance wasn’t the most creative method to have the third act breakup between these guys in my honest opinion. It feels like a very played out or kinda cliché conflict.

~~~

Conclusion:

Overall, another great story by one of my favorite authors! It wasn’t my absolute favorite by her, but it was still a great book nonetheless!

Thanks For Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fantasy, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3): by Sarah J. Maas

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Publish Date: January 30th, 2024
Number of Pages: 838 Pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre(s): Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

***Warning!! This review contains spoilers for this book and for previous books in the series, so continue reading at your own risk! You’ve officially been warned!!***

To see my review of book 1 – House of Earth and Blood – Click HERE

To see my review of book 2 – House of Sky and Breath – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

The gods know what would happen if all us females were unsupervised. Absolute anarchy. Cities would crumble.”

– Sarah J. Maas, “House of Flame and Shadow”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.

Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she’s going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that’s no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he’s in the Asteri’s dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce’s fate. He’s desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri’s leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

~~~

The wait was finally over….but then I had to put off making this book review for months and months because I put off typing up reviews for a long time too….I guess I was on a hiatus *shrugs*

Thinking back to this third installment when I read it, I’ll admit that while I absolutely loved it like I usually love an SJM novel, there was something about this one that fell short for me…like it didn’t quite meet all the expectations I had. And maybe that partially had to do with me (and plenty of others) hyping this book up way up too much in our own heads to the point that nothing the author would’ve written would’ve met our expectations. But either way, it can be agreed that this wasn’t her best book…it was still incredible, but defs not her best.

I think for me, it was partially because we all expected more that crossover tease we got from the end of book 2, and then we (or at least me) was expecting an MCU Avengers: Endgame level epic showdown where all the characters from the other series (ACOTAR and possibly TOG) come through portals to help Bryce and Hunt and the others battle it out with the Asteri.

Not to knock what we DID get…it was still awesome! The Princes of Hel were a major highlight for me in this one and become more prominent much to my relief. and the battle we witnessed was still absolutely incredible.

The worldbuilding and mythology/lore was OF COURSE absolutely mindblowing…I commend SJM with how she weaved it all together, and even amongst her different series too. Like how does one do that?! I can’t even describe how it was all done, you just have to read the book yourself and experience it for yourself. It’s just so awe-inspiring and shows the skill she truly has as an author, whether you like her books or not.

~~~

‘Okay, let’s do a head count. If you’re disowned, disgraced, or both, raise your hand.’ Tharion, Baxian, Lidia, Hunt, and Ruhn raised their hands.”

– Sarah J. Maas, “House of Flame and Shadow”

What I Liked:

  1. The Mythology/Lore Mixed Together From TWO Series! When I learned the things that you do that involves the history of both the lore of Crescent City AND ACOTAR, I was in complete awe. The way she mixed TWO mythologies together the way it unraveled and weaved together was legit chef’s kiss.
  2. WE GET CROSSOVER INTERACTION! So this is of course a BIG spoiler if you haven’t read the previous book, but there’s crossover interaction with Bryce and characters from ACOTAR and its AWESOME!!
  3. Lidia.Freakin.Cervos! The Hind gets a major character MVP award in this book because she was by far the most complex and most interesting character! I was totally hoping for this too with it being revealed in HOSAB that she was Agent Day and a rebel spy…and this book we get to see her in a whole new light and she was incredible! Absolutely loved her! She was kind of like the Manon Blackbeak of this series it feels like in my opinion.
  4. We See Princes of Hel! We get WAY more Aidas, which was a big improvement over what we got in HOSAB, but we also keep getting more and more interactions with the other princes too: Thanatos and Apollion. I love the dark and creepy mystique and aura around them and all the questions surrounding them of whether they’re friends or foes in this epic battle that’s on our way!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. I Wish We Got More ACOTAR Interaction…While I was ecstatic with what we did get, I of course wish we got more along with it. Like I wanted it to be like Avengers: Endgame with everyone reappearing through the portals and coming to fight Thanos in the final battle, but SJM characters instead. It would’ve been epic, but hey, I hyped myself up too much there and so the disappointment is on me, and I think anyone else who was disappointed by this aspect also hyped themselves up wayyyyy too much.
  2. Ithan and Tharion’s Decision Making Skills…I swear these two were in a competition amongst themselves to see who could fuck up their lives even further…SO many issues popped up in this book (and even continuing from the last book too) with the choices these two characters specifically make. And while I LOVE the characters themselves, these issues they created for themselves I also found to be the least interesting parts of the story in this book.
  3. Change of POV Several Times Mid-Chapter…So I actually did this same thing on a writing project a few years ago and didn’t see a problem with it back then, but now I totally see what beta readers were saying, it’s very jarring and very jumpy with how within each chapters, we jump from character to character who are all over the place in Midgard (or elsewhere) and if SJM’s writing is like that….Oh lord I KNOW my amateurish writing was like that back then too.

Conclusion:

Overall, another EPIC installment by the queen herself… SJM always delivers, and this book was about as epic as you could imagine in terms of action and excitement. Did you get EVERYTHING you wanted? probably not….but that’s also because it’s CRESCENT CITY and not the next ACOTAR book, and that does make a huge difference in what to expect for this book.

It wasn’t perfect, but we all know hardly any book ever is, and I know I was blown away by this book like I usually am whenever it comes to queen Maas!

Thanks for reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Caught Stealing (Leighton U #2): by CE Ricci

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Publish Date: August 9th, 2023
Number of Pages: 422 Pages
Publisher: Deserted Press LLC
Genre(s): LGBT, Erotica

Total Star Rating: 4.5 Stars

I don’t know if he’ll forgive me for falling in love with you.❞

— CE Ricci, “Caught Stealing”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

It’s not stealing if he’s meant to be mine…

Let me tell you how Holden Sykes operates. As the campus playboy and one-and-done king, he doesn’t do strings. Or repeats. Or names, for that matter. So when he tries making my best friend the next notch on his bedpost, I react poorly.

Some would call it jealousy or an unrequited crush, but friends protect each other from making mistakes. The same ones I’ve already made. Which is why driving Holden away seems like my only option.

Too bad he’s not giving up without a fight. Each prank leads to another until he turns this into a game far more precarious than intended. One filled with stolen moments and heated glances, drawing me into his orbit.

But the undeniable attraction simmering between us leaves me caught in the crosshairs of an impossible decision. Loyalty…or love.

*Caught Stealing is the second in a five book standalone college sports romance series featuring a road-tripping rubber ducky, two guys fighting for the upper hand, and enough cock-blocking shenanigans to make your cheeks flush. Not suitable for anyone under 18 years of age*

~~~

CE Ricci has become a go-to author for me for MM romance for a reason, and the main one is how easy it is for me to get swept up into her books and truly enjoy the story. What can I say; I just really enjoy her writing and really connect with it and her characters!

Caught Stealing is another one that was definitely a hit for me. It wasn’t perfect, but it definitely grabbed my attention and was a thoughtful and truly engaging story throughout as you see what happens with Phoenix and Holden.

Holden is a total player, man-whore type character with the list of who he hasn’t been with is probably shorter than who he actually has hooked up with…you get the idea. Well one night, Phoenix is one of his conquests at a college party where they meet, sparks instantly fly…but then Holden was so drunk that he doesn’t remember any of it the next day. But of course Phoenix does, which makes the brutal sting of rejection all that more sharp, and thus starts his resentment towards Holden.

It doesn’t help that Holden starts a flirtationship with his roommate and childhood best friend, Kason, two years later during their senior year and still acts like their tryst still never even happened…

That’s the main premise that leads into this story, which is a lot of banter, side eye, sneaky lustful looks, and “hate to still be attracted to you” kinda vibes. I was totally here for it all! I know that sounds bad, and there’s definitely a line that may be toed or crossed with people with this, but I still believe it was handled well in this case with this book. I could be wrong in some people’s eyes, but everyone can have their own opinion on the matter, and it definitely gets addressed in this book too.

I also love that even though this is book 2 in the Leighton U series, it can definitely still be enjoyed as a standalone title without much ruined for readers who hadn’t read the previous title, Iced Out, before starting this…although, I personally say why WOULDN’T you read Iced Out because it was so so good! There honestly wasn’t much if anything spoiled from book 1–you know the characters end up together in the end so that’s not exactly spoilery–and you may even notice a scene from book 1 given more attention and new context too!

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. The Prank War! The banter between Phoenix and Holden is a major highlight, and as Holden is starting to swoop in on Nix’s friend/roommate, battle lines get crossed and a prank war begins! Definitely some comedy mixed in with some heat as things get more and more tense between these two
  2. The Sneaking Around! Like I said before, this part may or may not sit well with some readers because it toes the line of cheating, but I think it was fine in this book and even Holden admitted that him and Kason were never exclusive. It does get addressed, but it also toeing the line of taboo and forbidden also added to the hot factor and definitely raised the heat and sexual tension in this story.
  3. Holden As The Reformed Player…I’m such a sucker for the player/rake who falls super hard once they discover their attraction to the other MC is more than just lust. Holden is a great example of that! He’s definitely slept his way through campus, but once he discovers he has true feelings for Phoenix, he becomes this devoted, thoughtful, and caring guy who really wants the affection from him. A golden retriever kind of character if you will…plus it’s hot when he still wants to get down and dirty with some spicy scenes too!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. I Have Questions About Kason and Phoenix’s Friendship…This relationship raised some questions and I’m going to talk about them here…It seemed odd that a friend like Kason would have Phoenix give up his dream school to come to Leighton University with him like he apparently did, and then the lying to him and sneaking around that Phoenix does…I mean, if they’re childhood best friends they should’ve definitely been able to have a more open conversation about these things and not let them all fester and become so resentful like they clearly did…I mean, sure that makes for the plot and inner conflicts to become more apparent, but I do question if lifelong best friends would’ve gotten to that place in the first place? Possibly some plot armor or plot convenience here, but I could definitely be wrong with the terminology on that, but the relationship itself in this regard still seemed odd to me.

Conclusion:

Overall, another great MM romance title from CE Ricci where I believe if you’ve enjoyed her other titles, you’re almost guaranteed to really enjoy this one too!

The banter, the spice, the sexual tension, there are some similarities to book 1 that you may catch with the dynamics of the two guys in this one too; it’s another rivals-to-lovers kind of story, but there’s more history between the two MC’s in this one and the situation luckily isn’t EXACTLY the same as Quentin and Oakley’s relationship! The two stories definitely stand a part enough from each other too.

Definitely a book to check out if you’re a MM romance fan!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, Fantasy, Romance

My Review: The Never King (Vicious Lost Boys #1): by Nikki St. Crowe

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Publish Date: February 20th, 2022
Number of Pages: 204 Pages
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre(s): Reverse Harem, Erotica, Romance, Fantasy

Total Star Rating: 3 Stars

‘Open up, darling.’ He orders. I part my lips. He gets in close and spits in my mouth. ‘That’s all you’ll get from me.’“

– Nikki St. Crowe, “The Never King”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

The stories were all wrong — Hook was never the villain.

For two centuries, all of the Darling women have disappeared on their 18th birthday. Sometimes they’re gone for only a day, some a week or a month. But they always return broken.

Now, on the afternoon of my 18th birthday, my mother is running around the house making sure all the windows are barred and the doors locked. But it’s pointless. Because when night falls, he comes for me . And this time, the Never King and the Lost Boys aren’t willing to let me go.

NOTE: The Never King is a reimagining of Peter and Wendy . Characters have been aged up for this darker, grittier version. If you like your enemies to lovers romance with hot, ruthless, morally gray love interests, you’ll enjoy The Never King and the Lost Boys. You can expect hate kissing, fighting, bickering, and ‘touch her and I’ll unalive you’ vibes. Book one ends on a cliff.

~~Please check the author’s website for CWs.~~

~~~

Talk about short and sweet and to the point!

This was a dark and sexy retelling of Peter Pan, but with a reverse harem twist. I’ll admit it wasn’t the GREATEST retelling one could probably read on this story, but it’s definitely one to check out. It’s one of those books that’s not entirely there plot-wise or character development wise, but more for the vibes and the spice.

With the lack of character development, I’m mainly hoping it’s just because it’s book 1 and that much more of it will happen with the other books in the series. It’s a book that will definitely leave you with more questions than answers, so that’s why I seriously think reading the whole series is how you see the plot and character development as a whole.

This book was very short, so if it was longer I’m sure there would be more development in these regards. But this book can definitely be considered if you’re just looking for something quick and mindless and smutty.

~~~

Maybe we’re all mad, in our own way.”

– Nikki St. Crowe, “The Never King”

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. How the Author Reimagined This Classic Fairytale! I’m very picky when it comes to retellings—I couldn’t tell you why—but this one was a story that really drew me in because of its promise to be dark and smutty. I find it fascinating when authors are able to turn what used to simply be a Disney animated movie and give it such a grittier and sexier makeover for the grown-up version of me!
  2. The Anticipation of More to Come! With this book being so short, I can definitely tell that I’ve only cracked the surface of this story and with three other books in the series, there’s plenty more to come!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. The Book is Too Short…While part of me enjoyed that this was such a fast and easy read, I felt like so much got glossed over because of how short it was. Like I feel like literally everything would benefit if more was put into this book: the worldbuilding, the descriptions, the backstories, the side characters. When I finished the book, I felt like it was too short and sweet and too the point and there could’ve been a LITTLE bit more fun exploration of this twisted new version of Neverland.
  2. Not Enough Story/Character Development…There’s some very subtle hints with some of the characters, so there’s hope for more later on in the series, but there was just such minimal development amongst the cast, it felt like they weren’t entirely fleshed out. I could be totally wrong about this with it only being one book, but if you want to see character growth, this isn’t something you should expect a whole lot of in this book.

Conclusion:

Overall, It was hot and steamy and definitely lives up to the hype in those regards…BUT as far as retellings go, this one left more to be desired than I’d hoped.

I’ll admit I’m curious enough to want to keep going and see what possibly happens next because there’s some brewing tension with that Fae Queen at the end that definitely has some interest with me, but it really will depend how book 2 goes to see if I see this series being worth continuing

Thanks for reading!

— Nick Goodsell

LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Romance

My Review: Garron Park (From Nothing #1): by Nordika Night

nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: April 23rd, 2023
Number of Pages: 306 Pages
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre(s): MM Romance, Sports Romance

Total Star Rating: 4 Stars

𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑴𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕-𝒖𝒑 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎.“

– Nordika Night, “Garron Park”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

Garron Park, where hope dies and no one ever gets ahead. Until… __

When Devon Sawyer desperately searches for his brother in the middle of the night, beaten and broken, he finds Maddox Kane instead. With his dad on his trail, he has no choice but to stand on his enemy’s doorstep and let Maddox help. Maddox has never seen Devon this vulnerable. Living in Garron’s trailer park means families dole out discipline on the regular and violence is a part of life, but something about how far Jim Sawyer takes it this time has Maddox unnerved. Rivals in motocross, work, and life itself, they’re forced to work together for one night. Perspectives change and their friction morphs into something unexpected. Hatred turns to lust. Tensions switch from hostile to aroused. While their competitiveness remains, their dynamic shifts. Their acceptance is anything but graceful. Two guys who come from nothing, with very little to look forward to, find themselves craving each other in new and fiery ways.


GARRON PARK is book one (1) of two (2) in the From Nothing series. Potential to expand later, but for now remains a duology. They must be read in order as book 2 is a continuation of book 1 featuring the same main characters. It is an MM romance with explicit spicy times, foul language, and two main guys who are pretty down on their luck.

~~~

This was another MM romance title that has been on my radar for quite some time, and thanks to the urging of some bookish ladies who dubbed it as “required reading” I finally ripped off the bandaid and started this book.

It was very enjoyable! I love a good rivals-to-lovers storyline, and we definitely get that here. Devon and Maddox supposedly can’t STAND each other and throw fists and ask questions next, and are constantly at each other’s throats all over that dirt track where they race on the back of their bikes.

Then one night things don’t necessarily change, but rather begins a shift between the two of them. Devon unexpectedly appears at Maddox’s front door, looking more worse for wear than usual…like he should’ve gone to a hospital instead in all honesty. But the rivals reluctantly work together and mend him back to health, well as best as two motocross racers in a small trailer in a trailer park can do? BUT, the main thing about this is after spending the night together taking care of Devon and nursing him, there’s definitely a shift that occurs between them, like a mutual “….why are you so hot all of a sudden?” going on in their heads.

They begin to come to terms with their obvious attraction to each other as best as two trailer park motocross racers who cuss and get into fights out of boredom can do. it’s both rough and kind of cute at the same time!

BUT when they begin to act on the temptation and the lust with all the growing sexual tension that builds, woahhhh boy, enjoy that ride like I know they do *wink*wink.*

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. How “Rough” Devon and Maddox Get With Each Other! Okay this one is weird because normally with how much these two get into fistfights with each other and how they show affection by bloodying each other up, you’d think it’s absolutely abusive and toxic….. however, you read this story and start to realize it actually works for them? It’s kind of hard to explain and it may not make sense unless you read the book yourself and experience it for yourself.
  2. The Spice! There’s some bi/gay awakening spicy moments in here as Devon and Maddox explore their feelings–and each others bodies–and it gets HOT
  3. The Brothers Pushing Them Together! I love how Xavi and Nate, the older brothers of the two MMC’s, are the BIGGEST shippers of them getting together and even make a forced proximity moment for them at one point too. In such a particular setting, it was cool to see this gay relationship get support instead of the opposite…honestly you’d expect a trailer park in the south to not be the most accepting place for this sort of thing.

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Some of the Angst/Arguing Felt Very Childish…Devon and Maddox are supposed to be in their mid 20’s, but with the arguments they get into and all the way they pout and don’t want to talk about their relationship/feelings and wimp out of that conversation as much as they can…it just made me feel like they were 14 still handling puberty instead full grown adults. Sure they were dealing with the fact that they were attracted to another man for the first time, but seriously some of this stuff was so eyeroll worthy.
  2. I Wish There Was More Actual Motocross in the Story… I absolutely loved the Disney Channel movie “Motocrossed” and this book made me nostalgic for that movie IMMENSELY. What I loved about that movie is how heavily the sport itself had to do with the plot of the movie, and it makes an appearance or a few in this book, but I was disappointed how much it didn’t actually. Hopefully book two has way more actual Motocross sequences to make up for it!

Conclusion:

Overall, this was an insanely enjoyable MM romance title! It was unorthodox and rough around the edges, which is also perfectly how I’d also describe the relationship between Maddox and Devon. Two guys down on their luck who somehow find each other in what so many would consider a hopeless place…

The arguing and miscommunication might be a turnoff for some, but I was able to overlook it all for this book and still enjoy it either way! Hopefully any sports romance/MM romance fans who want to try this will do the same!

Thanks for reading!

— Nick Goodsell