Erotica, LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance

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

August 20, 2024 nicholasjgoodsell

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:

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
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.
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:

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

LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Romance

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

March 28, 2024 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:

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.
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
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:

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.
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

LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Iced Out (Leighton U #1): by C.E. Ricci

September 26, 2023 nicholasjgoodsell

Publish Date: December 23rd, 2022
Number of Pages: 358 Pages
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre(s): New Adult Romance, Erotica, LGBT+

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

Falling in love wasn’t part of the deal. Hell, I was the one who went and told him not to fall in love with me, yet here I am doing exactly that. Catching feels in a fuck-buddy relationship, like a goddamn amateur.“
– C.E. Ricci, “Iced Out”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

All’s fair in hate and hockey.

My path to success never included an enemy as a teammate, especially one as infuriating as Quinton de Haas.

Clawing under my skin is his favorite pastime, only feeding the animosity between us as the years pass.

We’re as completely opposite as two people can be; the golden boy and the black sheep.

Constantly at odds or at each other’s throats.

The only thing we can agree on is hockey is our true love, and we’ll do whatever it takes to come out on top.

I never imagined that drive would lead me to do the unthinkable: falling into bed with my not-so-straight rival.

But athletes are a superstitious bunch, and when our hook-ups lead to victories, we tell ourselves we can’t stop.

Besides, it’s all for the sake of the team, right?

*Iced Out is the first in a five book standalone college sports romance series featuring two misunderstood rival teammates, pages of snarky banter, and more secret spicy times than any book should be filled with. Not suitable for anyone under 18 years of age.*

~~~

My first ever CE Ricci book, and this one absolutely stole my heart! I absolutely loved Oakley and Quinton’s story here as they go from bitter rivals/teammates to steamy AF lovers….but of course the story couldn’t go so smoothly and had to have some bumps along the way.

This story is a duo perspective surrounding both Oakley and Quinton, two Leighton University Varsity hockey players, and even though they’re teammates on the ice, they can barely stand each other…call it rivals, call it enemies, either way there’s some major animosity between these two. Quinton is the team captain, but when a drug test suspiciously turns up positive, the tables flip and Oakley gets the spot…yeah, that’ll smooth things over…

Now one thing to know about hockey players especially, if not all athletes, is that they can get extremely superstitious. If they find one thing that helps them start a winning streak, they stick to it. So when a losing season starts to turn around after a random night when these two randomly get down and dirty together, what do they decide to do??? Keep doin’ it of course! Boy logic for you.

But hey, at least this means you’re guaranteed for some hot, spicy MM action in this book that involves sneaking around, secret hookups, library shenanigans, and just lots of heat in general!

BUT that’s not to say there aren’t some softer and more tender moments that happen between them that really make you swoon for them. Quinton is especially a total sweetheart who just wants to find somebody to love him. He’s just the snarky, dark haired blue eyed bad boy who hides his hurt beneath a smirk that I’m a total sucker for!

The beginning is definitely a little slower paced than I’m sure some readers would want, BUT it also sets the story up for later conflicts so while it’s not favorable, it’s definitely necessary in my opinion. One could also argue the 3rd act breakup that OF COURSE occurs–not really a spoiler because it ALWAYS happens–was overdramatized, but again I think that just comes down to the specific reader and their personal opinion.

The book tied together very well in the end, and even if you don’t want to read the next book in this series, it feels satisfactory enough with the ending and doesn’t leave a whole lot up in the air with any major cliffhangers, and yes there is a HEA for anyone wondering.

~~~

‘Oh, baby,’ he murmurs, sex and desire dripping from his voice as he layers his body over mine. ‘You know all’s fair in hate and hockey.’”
– C.E. Ricci, “Iced Out”

~~~

What I Liked:

The Spice! Lots and lots of flavor with this book…I’d give it 3.5 or 4 peppers overall for the spice meter. These boys get naughty on several instances in this book, and MM spice fans will LOVE every second of it.
Quinn is Total Book Boyfriend Material! Quinn is basically everything…he’s got blue eyes, dark hair, great body, tattoos, snarky whit, a temper, and a smirk that hides the hurt he wants to keep from the world except when Oakley sees a side of him that no one else gets to see. Quinn stole my heart in this book, and while he was cynical and moody, all he really needed was somebody to be there for him!
Parents Aren’t the Main Conflict! Usually in these college romances, parents play a big part of keeping the two apart or driving a wedge between them, and at the beginning it really looked like this story was going that route since Oakley is a legacy kid and Quintons parents are the typical rich, ice-cold waspy types who don’t approve of him playing already. Luckily, this isn’t a huge conflict that keeps popping up in the story, THANK GOD!
There’s a Decent Amount of Actual Hockey Playing! Sometimes “sports romance” novels involve very little actual sports being actually played. This is not the case here, and a big chunk of the plot has to do with their hockey season and them playing games. I just can actually appreciate when the plot/conflict of a sports romance actually includes sports related issues.

What I Didn’t Like:

The Beginning Is A Little Slow…Maybe I was just impatient for the spice to happen, but yeah I can agree with some readers that the beginning could have been maybe a little condensed? Maybe not involve as much going on, especially if they ended up not being issues later on in the story?
The “Betrayal” Wasn’t Entirely One’s Fault…So the big third act breakup involves an act of “betrayal” and that’s all I’ll say about that, but part of me always felt like one kind of unfairly put more blame on the other when the other couldn’t fully even control that what happened had actually happened. I know that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense if you don’t know the context, but I don’t want to spoil…

Conclusion:

Overall, I am now a HUGE fan of CE Ricci after reading this MM hockey romance she wrote! and even better that it’s a part of a series of standalone MM college romance novels! I will certainly be getting my hands on many more CE Ricci books now I can definitely confirm!

Thanks for reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, LGBT, Mystery/Thriller, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Cannon (Brothers of Hawthorne Hall #2): by Leila James

March 7, 2023 nicholasjgoodsell

Publish Date: November 21st, 2022
Number of Pages: 448 Pages
Publisher: Kindle Edition
Genre(s): Erotica, Reverse Harem, New Adult Romance, Mystery/Thriller, LGBT+

**Warning! This Review contains spoilers to the previous book in this trilogy, so continue reading at your own risk! You’ve officially been warned!**

To see my review of book #1 – Kingston – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

Our girl is a fucking diamond – beautiful to look at, but impossible to crush.”
– Leila James, “Kingston”

~~~

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

A Dark College Bully Romance

Shattered trust, twisted games, and ugly truths …

A female initiate is unheard of at Hawthorne Hall, but after forcing the brotherhood’s hand, they had no choice but to let me stay. My plan should have been simple: Find out what happened to my cousin and best friend in the world, Will.

But nothing is as it seems.

This brotherhood is steeped in tradition and built on loyalty, but the deeper I dig, the more I see fissures in their supposedly tight-knit group. And with the evidence I’ve found, every move I make seems more dangerous than the last. I no longer know who to trust.

Cannon.
Archer.
Kingston.

I don’t want to believe they’re guilty or that they could have harmed Will. But there’s only one way to find out—immerse myself in their world and keep my mouth shut. And hope they don’t break my heart along the way.

The games continue … but who is being played?

~~~

Book two, here we go!!

There’s not a whole lot to honestly add besides what I liked and disliked about this book if I’m being completely honest. There are definitely some new things to add though that I definitely found to be a highlight, so I’ll add that this book for sure improves from book 1!

You continue off literally right where the previous book left off: Elliott is in bed with Kingston after they had some incredibly hot sex and also grew closer by opening up to each other too, but she finds her missing best friend/cousin’s cell phone in his bedside table!

Duh Duh DUN!!!

Suddenly the trust she’d been building with Archer, Kingston, and Cannon is instantly shattered and she’s back to square one.

Who can she trust?

What do they know?

Where is Will now?

Do they know who she is?

Questions are popping up left and right, kind of like the dicks in this reverse harem/why choose story. but one thing that I’m entirely certain about is the spice definitely increases! it gets hotter, more intense, and oh yeah…there’s more, but you definitely have to read more to find out for yourself!

~~~

What I Liked:

The Spice Gets HOTTER & HOTTER! The Spice does not let up in this second installment despite how book 1 ended! THANK GOD!
MM ROMANCE! I won’t spoil who it involves, but I will say that I LOVE the addition of some hot male-on-male action going down as the plot thickens. I kind of wasn’t expecting it to be who it ended up being, well at least for one of the characters, but it was an addition to the story that I was all for!
The Three Guys Had More Character Development! This time around the three guys Archer, Kingston, and Cannon had some development tossed their way, and they’ve became much more three dimensional and more dynamic. You start to see more of their personalities now that you’ve become familiar with them, and while some of them you’ll still like more than others, a lot more starts to make sense around them all the same too!

What I Didn’t Like:

Elliott Continues To Be a Damsel…I mean, I guess this sort of makes sense since she’s digging around for clues and answers to something that is obviously being covered up, but it’s getting repetitive by this point that she gets herself into trouble, then has to rely on her men to help her get out of it. At least after it usually leads to spice, but again…it’s getting repetitive
Another Hall Getting Attention?…There was a LOT of emphasis on a rival fraternity/hall in this book with a masquerade auction event, like way more emphasis than I honestly cared for. It ended up the head of that house had some history with Kingston and the situation with his dead sister…so I could see this becoming a bigger subplot into the next book, or even a spinoff sort of thing, and part of me wonders if I even care?…
I Still Think There’s Not Enough Emphasis On The Mystery…I’m still wishing there was more to the mystery, like more surprising twists and reveals and an intricate plot that reveals way more is going on than we believed, but instead we get more instances of Elliott getting into trouble and needing Archer, Cannon, or Kingston to save her. At least the spice is abundant!
….SPUNK BUNKERS?!?!…Absolutely the worst way to describe testicles I’ve ever heard. NEVER AGAIN

~~~

Conclusion:

Overall, a better sequel than what book 1 had to offer, but I feel like these books are still just missing that extra something to make them absolutely spectacular! that extra ooomph to really set it apart and make it better than it already is!

They’re not bad books by any means, in fact, I’d say they’re like an addictive, sexy binge-worthy Riverdale, Elite, Euphoria-esque show you can’t help but get sucked into! I’ve enjoyed reading these tremendously; just because I have a few personal critiques doesn’t mean I didn’t like it! I’ll definitely be reading the third and final book to see what could possibly happen next!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fancasts/Dreamcasts

My Fancast/Dreamcast: The Extracurricular Activities Trilogy by Neve Wilder

November 11, 2022July 7, 2023 nicholasjgoodsell

Whaddup readers, it’s time for another Fancast/Dreamcast post, and this time it’s for what has to be the spiciest, steamiest, sexiest set of books I’ve read this year! Neve Wilder totally gained a fan in me with how hot these books got, they’re seriously some of the best MM new adult romance I’ve read out there, not that my list is incredibly extensive in this regards, but someday!

BEWARE OF SPOILERS IF YOU HAVENT READ THESE YET

Each book featured a different couple, and book 1 actually started off as a collection of short stories in a newsletter that gained major popularity before being brought together and published as one full length novel. Nate and Eric star in book 1, Chet and Mark star in book 2, and Sam and Jesse star in book 3!

If you want some spicy MM romance action, I can’t recommend these books enough!

~~~

To see my review of book #1 – Want Me – Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – Try Me – Click HERE

To see my review of book #3 – Show Me – Click HERE

~~~

Here is my Fancast/Dreamcast for the Extracurricular Activities Trilogy:

Nate: Ryan Ball

Ryan is a model that is total eye candy on Instagram, and exactly how I imagine the down to earth and slightly awkward Nate to look like in book 1. If he looked like this, I can see why Eric became so into him!

~~~

Eric: Charlie Matthews

Image courtesy of dnamanagementgroup.com

Eric is described as being dark haired with green eyes and a hot build even if he’s on the slimmer side, so this model Charlie Matthews is immediately who I thought of to play Eric!

~~~

Mark Farrow: Zane Phillips

I’ve recently discovered Zane Phillips, and I’m obsessed…He might be the only reason I have to check out The Legacies on the CW network, even though I believe The Vampire Diaries DID NOT need a second spin-off show! It also helps that he’s gay in real life too, so he’d be perfect for a role in these books if they were to make it into a film/show!

~~~

Chet Pynchon: Eric Guilmette

I’m basically making this fancast into a men’s appreciation catalogue, but honestly who’s complaining??? I don’t remember much of what Chet is described as, but I’m obsessed with Eric over on Instagram, so I honestly just pictured him as Chet in my head. This one may or may not be all that accurate, but hey, I’m good with using Eric to my imagination with these books!

~~~

Sam: Matt O’Brien, or Andre Lamoglia

Matt O’Brien, image courtesy of the model’s Instagram account

Andre Lamoglia, image courtesy of popbuzz.com

Sam is basically described LITERALLY as a human golden retriever/yellow lab, and whoever would play him needs to look the part! Matt is guy I found on social media who I imagine Sam looking like, BUT there’s also a new hottie named Ivan on the Spanish Netflix drama, Elite, who’s played by Andre, and I get serious heart-eyes whenever he smiles, just like how I’d imagine I would for Sam!

Jesse: Alex Espenshade

Jesse is a sassy skinny ginger who was also really hard to cast! No one came to mind right away for me as to who I could picture playing him! This male model has an adorable look to him that I could see Jesse as, but consider this a place holder until I find someone who I deem more perfect!