Category: Erotica

Dark Romance, Erotica, Fantasy, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Kiss Of The Basilisk (Split Or Swallow #1): by Lindsay Straube

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Publish Date: February 25th, 2025
Number of pages: 528 Pages
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre(s): Fantasy, Erotica, Romance

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

THIS BOOK IS NOT SAFE TO READ AT WORK. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

Twenty year old Temperance Verus has never been kissed. But that’s what the basilisk is for.

Along with thirteen other contestants, Tem must train with a basilisk to learn the power of seduction and win the prince’s hand in marriage. When Tem is matched with Caspen, the Serpent King, she realizes she might actually stand a chance. But with tensions rising between the basilisks and the humans, Tem is suddenly torn in two directions.

As her bond with Caspen deepens, so does her connection with the prince, Leo. And when she uncovers a terrible secret about the royal family, Tem finds herself caught between two neither of which she can survive without.

Guaranteed to make you blush (and then some), Split or Swallow is like if fanfic Draco Malfoy went on the Bachelor and had to compete with a snake. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? That’s because it is!!

~~~

…I don’t know if I’d necessarily call this book “unhinged” like so many are, unless thats a play words on how snakes can unhinge their jaws to eat large prey, then go off….ANYWAYS, I can say this book that I’ve been coining as the “snake porn” book was an entertaining journey no matter what any buzzword you want to also use!

This is like an oversexualized, Slytherin-esque with lots of snake shifters, adult version of the YA romance series, The Selection or the tv show The Bachelor, where there’s all these girls in the kingdom who are literally selected and made to compete for the hand (and heart?) of the prince, who is in his height of glory over all these girls fawning over him like he’s Justin-freakin-Beiber in his prime…but the twist? All the girls are being “trained” by the basilisk shifters, who are not exactly slaves but their kind lost some war long ago and so now they serve the royal family…Hey, I didn’t write it!

But yes, the basilisk shifters are to “train” these young women and help them learn the ways of seduction and how to please a man…so yes you can guess there is HELLA sex in this book. Temperance Verus, or Tem for short, is our FMC and she’s selected to be amongst this latest harem, and she’s paired with Caspen, a smoking hot (sometimes literally) basilisk shifter. From lots of spicy lessons, they develop feelings for each other, but Tem also finds herself drawn to the royal prince whom she’s trying to marry, so how’s a girl supposed to choose????

While this twisty love triangle is forming, there is also definitely some tension rising amongst the basilisks and the humans and war could definitely be on the horizon!

So despite this book not being as unhinged as the hype made it out to be, I did find myself really enjoying this one! It was fun, it was WEIRD, it was hella spicy, and most importantly it really kept my attention all throughout. Sure there were some major clichés with the cast like the beautiful mean girl rival, the slutty gay best friend, and the arrogant prince and the evil king who’s just evil for the sake of being evil, BUT it’s still actually an enjoyable story!

It’s one of those things where I feel like you can really like this one if you go in knowing not to take it seriously and if you’re into the dark and spicy romantasy books and slight monster erotica-ness to it too!

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. The Love Triangle! I don’t care what anyone else says to this, I’m a fan of a love triangle arc when it’s done right! There are plenty of books where it isn’t, but this one was fun because at the end of it, part of me truly questions who Tem will end up with! I mean, obviously I’d ideally love it to become poly or just why choose/reverse harem
  2. The Spice Lessons! I actually enjoyed the aspect of this story of Caspen and Tem’s relationship building off the “lessons” Caspen bestows upon her throughout the first chunk of the book. It of course led to A LOT of smutty goodness in the story, and I’m now questioning if this book is going to be my gateway drug into monster romance…

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. The Cliché Cast of Characters…The one thing I was really mehhhhh about was that the cast of characters for this felt very cliché….we had the slutty gay best friend, the mean girl rival fighting for the hand of the prince, the “not like most girls” FMC makes for a pretty unoriginal cast of characters. Luckily the book is still fun to read, but most of these characters defs just felt like copy and pasted character archetypes we’ve seen so many other times.
  2. The Ending…The ending wasn’t necessarily bad, but I’m also definitely questioning where it’s going to take the story into the next book for sure. Like it’s definitely a choice to say the least.

Conclusion:

Overall, It was a fun and entertaining, but also sexually WILD story. Obviously don’t expect the next literary masterpiece with this, but spicy/smutty book lovers who enjoy some romantasy shenanigans with a sprinkle of monster romance too will find this book to be pretty fun! Just don’t go in taking it too seriously and just have fun with it is all I can suggest!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, LGBT, Romance

My Review: Salt Kiss (Lyonesse #1): by Sierra Simone

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Publish Date: September 12th, 2023
Number of Pages: 352 Pages
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre(s): Erotica, LGBTQIA+

Total Star Rating: 4 Stars

There is something alive about the hatred at least. A breathing inside the jealousy. When I first came to Lyonesse, I felt like a puppet of myself, a collection of traits without anything deeper to animate them: alertness, discipline, longing, regret. A shell of dried sinew and bone and no heart. I feel now. Even if it’s misery, obsession, jealousy, I feel them all, and no matter how awfully things have turned out, I can’t doubt that Mark had something to do with that.”

— Sierra Simone, “Salt Kiss”

What It’s About:

The official blurb:

Tristan Thomas is lost. After leaving the Army, the young former soldier is in limbo. Until, that is, he’s hired by Mark Trevena, the owner of Lyonesse—DC’s ultra-secret club—to be Mark’s new bodyguard. He’s drawn into Mark’s dark, seductive world of power and desire, and slowly drawn to Mark himself, even though Mark is everything Tristan knows he shouldn’t want: cruel and wicked and shamelessly amoral.

But protecting Mark isn’t Tristan’s only duty: soon, Mark asks him to guard his soon-to-be bride as she travels home from Ireland on Mark’s yacht. Tristan is jealous—and hurt to learn that the object of his obsession is engaged—but the soldier in him is made to obey orders, and he goes to fetch Mark’s bride for him.

Isolde Laurence is nothing like Tristan expected, however. Young, quiet, and sharp, she’s being pushed into this marriage by her family, and as the two travel back to America, Tristan finds himself fascinated with Isolde and the glimpses he gets of the lonely but determined woman behind her reserve. And the fascination is mutual: one night, while sailing under the cold stars, they share a searing kiss.

From there, it’s a fast fall into the forbidden. But in Mark Trevena’s world, the fall is only the beginning…

The Lyonesse trilogy is a queer, kinky contemporary retelling of the legend of Tristan and Isolde, set in the same world as the New Camelot series. Readers will not have to read New Camelot to enjoy Lyonesse, although readers who enjoyed New Camelot will find all the things they loved about the trilogy here: MMF ménage, plenty of the angsty forbidden, and a sweeping retelling of a familiar story.

~~~

So if you’ve also read The New Camelot trilogy by Sierra Simone, you’ll of course understand why I say that she is my QUEEN of smut because of those books! I mean, Greer and Embry and Ash just *swoon* so when I heard that she was making ANOTHER MMF trilogy, and that it would be set in the same world as New Camelot, my attention was GRABBED!

With this book you get the same vibes and aesthetics that made New Camelot so wonderful: political intrigue, forbidden romance, high society kink, Washington DC secrets, shocking revellations and plot twists, and of course lots and lots of spicy smut!

And like how NC was a Arthurian retelling, so is this one…This story revolves around Tristan Thomas, who’s left the army after some unknown tragedy he’s still recovering from, is lost and doesn’t know where life will take him…but then accepts a strange job as the personal bodyguard of Mark Trevena, his new step-uncle and the arcane owner of an ultra secretive night club that only the world’s elite can enter and play. Tristan soon realizes he had no idea what he signed up for with this position and is exposed to a dark underbelly of the top 1% who make all the decisions of the world…

Much later in the story, Tristan is sent on a mission to watch over Mark’s betrothed on a yacht trip from Ireland, and he soon realizes that by meeting Isolde, he found himself torn between two lovers….or is he???

Honestly, if you enjoyed her previous trilogy, I see no reason why you wouldn’t love this one too! Tristan is a great main character to follow through this first installment as we’re introduced to this dark underworld of the ultra elite and as he battles his conflicting feelings for Mark and eventually also Isolde.

Mark is an absolute enigma and such a tight-lipped mystery, he’s truly an interesting character too, and Isolde too, but for different reasons. Isolde wasn’t in the book as much as I’d hoped so I was disappointed with that, but there’s other books so I have to remember that!

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. It’s Familiar But Still Feels New! It very much feels like a New Camelot spinoff with familiar tropes, character arcs, dynamics, but it doesn’t feel like a carbon copy all the same. It definitely feels unique enough to stand on its own
  2. This Book is Mostly MM! This book that will be the first in a trilogy focuses mainly on Tristan and his developing relationship with Mark, so there’s mostly a lot of spicy MM scenes, so no complaints whatsoever from me!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Isolde Doesn’t Appear Until Much Later…Isolde doesn’t make an appearance until like 2/3rds into the book, and I actually wish she had shown up way earlier. Granted, she steals the show when she does finally appear, but again why does it take until like the 75% point for this to happen??

~~~

Conclusion:

Overall, another incredible and ultra smutty book by my QUEEN of spice herself! This was a wonderful book written by her whether you’ve read the before-mentioned trilogy or not. There’s maybe like one reference to the previous trilogy in the book? Other than that it’s very able to be read on its own!

But I digress WHY wouldn’t you read that series too?? I really enjoyed both and hope you do too if you give Sierra Simone a chance!

Thanks for reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Dark Romance, Erotica, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Romance

My Review: God Of Malice (Legacy of Gods #1): by Rina Kent

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Publish Date: July 14th, 2022
Number of Pages: 576 Pages
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre(s): Dark Romance, New Adult Romance

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

Not all girls like the hero. I was fated to fall in love with the villain. Because I know, I just know that he’ll put me ahead of everyone. Himself included.”

— Rina Kent, “God Of Malice”

What It’s About:

The Official Synopsis:

I caught the attention of a monster.
I didn’t ask for it.
Didn’t even see it coming.
But the moment I do, it’s too late.
Killian Carson is a predator wrapped in sophisticated charm.
He’s cold-blooded, manipulative, and savage.
The worst part is that no one sees his devil side.
I do.
And that will cost me everything.
I run, but the thing about monsters?
They always chase.

This book is not a conventional romance and contains themes that aren’t to everyone’s liking. Please check the author’s note before reading.

~~~

Now here’s a book that, in my humble opinion, lived up to the MASSIVE hype it’s received…

Being a part of the book community, and a growing fan of the Dark Romance sub-genre specifically, it’s probably hard to traverse this particular corner of the community without having coming across the Legacy of Gods series by Rina Kent. It feels like it’s just about everywhere, and there are multiple different sets and editions that go for astronomical resale prices on the BST market too.

I’ll admit seeing that stay pretty consistent also made me super curious about these books and the hype around them…

Okay, so this book definitely starts off with a bang…and then it just devolves into more beautiful chaos from there. This book revolves around Glyndon King and Killian Carson, two college-age students of the ultra british elite. Glyndon is on a cliff looking over the ocean where she’d witnessed a friend drive over towards his unexpected but brutal death. Haunted with those past images stuck in her brain, that’s where a grieving Glyndon meets the enigmatic and chaotic Killian, and like I said…it just gets more and more out of control from there!

Killian was a really fun anti-hero, dark knight sort of character because the dude was a legit psychopath/sociopath, but he still had a ton of charm to him! He gave me Joe Goldberg from YOU vibes sort of in that sense, but he makes Joe look pretty mild in comparison if that says anything. His snark and banter were top tier throughout; I even found myself falling for the villain here.

My only critiques of this book were it felt like it didn’t need to be as long as it was, like it could’ve been condensed somewhat, because I did find myself getting a little impatient towards the 75% mark in this book. My only other critique was all the many other characters introduced, especially right away in like the 3rd or 4th chapter, but I also know most if not all of them are the main stars of the next books in this series. I maybe just wish we were introduced to them more smoothly throughout the book instead of all clumped together…it’s like when you’re introduced to a whole lunch table of new people and their names are listed off back to back; how many of those people’s names do you actually remember after 5 minutes?

I will admit, I was hesitant to start this sooner because of the MASSIVE universe these books are a part of with a lot of Rina Kent books/series. I know the parents of the characters are stars in other series that take place way before these, but luckily I found myself able to get through this book no problem without having read any of the previous books beforehand. Sure, you’d probably get more out of this book if you HAD read them before and learned the stories of the parents, but here’s me saying it’s not entirely necessary. Thank god for that too, because it’s a HUGE commitment to read all the books that take place before the Legacy of Gods series, which then ironically has become the most popular of them.

~~~

Understand this, Glyndon, there’s nothing noble or tender about what I feel for you. It’s violent volcano of obsession, possession, and deranged lust. If you want love, then I do love you, but it’s the unorthodox version of love. I love you enough to let you within my walls. I love you enough to let you talk to my demons. I love you enough to allow you to have a hold over me when I’ve never allowed anyone to have the power to destroy me from inside out.”

— Rina Kent, “God Of Malice”

What I Liked:

  1. The Banter! The back and forths between Killian and Glyndon were just so so good. It felt like it was like a third of the book, and I don’t have any complaints about that at all! I am always a sucker for good snarky banter.
  2. Killian Carson! He is a dark, sexy, psychotic MOFO who actually had quite a bit of depth to him too. That was surprising to me, like he wasn’t a dark character just for the sake of it or for cheap shock value, it felt natural and explored wonderfully in this story with some explanations brought forward to make him feel like a truly well thought out and fleshed out character.
  3. Amazing Cast of Characters! While a lot of them get thrown at you right away, once you start to distinguish them from each other, I did really enjoy each character and the different dynamics that were presented. A lot of easter eggs were definitely planted for the next books too, it was fun to try and catch them with what limited knowledge I had.
  4. The Start of the Book! This book starts off in a really exciting and attention grabbing way, and as someone who gives a book 100 pages to grab my attention before I decide to DNF it and move onto the next, I thought with how this book started was a great way to instantly hook readers!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Too Many Introductions At Once…Way too many characters were introduced to me all at the same time and all right away in the very beginning of the book…It felt like a dark college romance version of like Game of Thrones or something…I eventually got them all figured out and distinguished, but man was it overwhelming at first!
  2. Part of Multi-Series Universe…This could be a good or bad thing depending on the kind of reader you are, but the fact that this series is the very latest in a LONG line of other books/series that are all connected was a major yellow light/yield sign that made me hesitate for like a year before finally deciding to dive in. Luckily it’s not required to have read all of them before starting LOG series, but it enhances your overall experience reading this too, and part of me does feel the FOMO of not having read from the very chronological beginning

Conclusion:

Overall, this was one hell of a way to start a series, and I can say I am HOOKED and I will definitely be reading on to see how the other books are! Killian was a perfect addictive psychopath and Glyndon was the perfect angel who could make him see the light as well as explore her dark side too…

This book is perfect for fans of opposites attract, dubcon/noncon, mafia/secret societies, dark college romance type stories with lots of banter and spice to boot.

Like I mentioned above, this is one of those massively hyped/popular books that actually lived up to all the hype! I definitely recommend it if this sounds like your kind of book to dive into.

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, Fantasy, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Paranormal

My Review: The Dark One (Vicious Lost Boys #2): by Nikki St. Crowe

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Publish Date: April 24th, 2022
Number of Pages: 228 Pages
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre(s): Dark Romance, Fantasy, Erotica, Reverse Harem

***Warning! This review contains spoilers from the previous book in the series, so continue reading at your own risk! You have been warned!***

To see my review of book 1 – The Never King – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

I’m a china cup that has been broken so many times that I’m never sure if I’m a cup or just separate pieces held together by glue and sheer determination, molded into a cup-like shape. I know how to crack and I know how to mend.”

— Nikki St. Crowe, “The Dark One”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

I spent most of my life feeling dead inside — until I met Peter Pan and the Lost Boys…

It wasn’t until Pan and Neverland that I finally felt alive.

But things are not all full of magic and sunlight on the island. There’s something darker and more sinister haunting the forest.

And worse, the fae queen and Captain Hook are ready to fight for control of Neverland and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Including using the one thing Pan never thought he wanted or needed — me. I’m a descendant of the Darling family and now I belong to him and the Lost Boys.

War is brewing — can the Never King get his shadow back and assume his rightful throne? And if he does, where will I fit?

Or will all of Neverland be in jeopardy right along with my dark, twisted heart?

NOTE: The Dark One is book two in the Vicious Lost Boys series. It is a dark reimagining of Peter and Wendy. If you like your enemies to lovers romance with hot, ruthless, morally gray love interests, you’ll enjoy The Dark One and the Lost Boys. You can expect hate kissing, fighting, bickering, and ‘touch her and I’ll unalive you’ vibes.

Please check the author’s website for CWs

~~~

Okay, but this was a vast improvement from the previous book in my opinion! The previous book, The Never King, definitely felt like a setting placer and merely showed us the world with a basic premise but not much more than that in terms of storytelling….

That’s not to say it wasn’t hot! It just felt like nothing happened at the same time if that makes sense?

…Anyways, this second book just felt like much more was going on and was much faster paced, like it rolled much further along this time around with finding Pan’s shadow and the lengths people will go to acquire it.

The biggest highlight for this installment for me was the inclusion of Captain Hook, who we all know is the arch nemesis of Peter Pan…it was only a matter of time until he showed up in this Peter Pan retelling. BUT I appreciate how he wasn’t just a simple black/white Disney Villain, he definitely has some shades of grey to him here. Those honestly make the best villains in my opinion.

The spice was perfection like I expected in this story! I love the use of magic and fantasy elements to enhance these scenes too, it really makes the series stand out. And all I can say is that those who wanted more Vane are going to be very pleased.

…And I loved that cliffhanger as well too! Super well done!

~~~

He is an unholy sight. And I will never stop sinning for him.”

— Nikki St. Crowe, “The Dark One”

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. That Ending! Holy cliffhangers, Batman! This one was a doozy and I loved it! Made me have to go to the next book immediately.
  2. Captain Hook Showing Up! Captain James Hook definitely added a LOT to the story now that he’s shown up! Pun intended, he got me hooked these books?
  3. There Was More Plot/Conflict! This book just felt more enhanced than the previous one for me, and I think it had to do with the fact that it felt like there was more plot/conflict happening this time around.

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. …Is It REALLY love though?…Sometimes Winnie’s relationship with Peter Pan and the lost boys feels off to me, or that it shifted way to quickly? Like they refer to her as their whore and have turns having a lot of sex with her, but then it’s like instantly like they’re all in love with her too? Maybe call it another case of instalove, but that dynamic feels off to me with these characters when half the time Winnie seems like she’s just a walking, talking sex toy to the male characters. But at the same time, I’m not reading this story expecting a Disney Princess happily ever after.

~~~

Conclusion:

Overall, this sequel was much better for me than the previous book in this series. Everything felt enhanced for me; the plot, the spice, the pacing, the characters, EVERYTHING! I enjoyed this one more, and that cliffhanger ending had me grabbing for the next book ASAP!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

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