| Title | : | Anti-Valentine |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 1068 |
| Publication | : | First published February 14, 2023 |
Get ready for an anti-Valentine to remember in this limited release M/M romance anthology. Sixteen authors have come together to bring you a collection of brand-new short stories with a combination of dark, enemies to lovers, and bully themes.
Participating authors: Andi Jaxon, Ashley James, Ashlyn Drewek, Bailey Nicole, Becca Steele, Bethany Winters, C. Lymari, CE Ricci, Hayden Hall, Isabel Lucero, J.R. Gray, Jessie Walker, Misty Walker, Nicole Dykes, Riley Nash, T. Ashleigh
All eBook proceeds from this anthology will benefit LGBTQ+ mental health organizations.
Anti-Valentine Reviews
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𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟯.𝟱𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
① Prom King by Andi Jaxon - 𝟮.𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
basically this is just hate sex. plus something just itches at me with that relationship-with-someone-else-show thing Roman has going on simply bc he's too afraid to come out in the small town (and i totally get that, that's not the issue here). the fact is i didn't like that the relationship felt too unbalanced is also there. Roman was free to flaunt his girlfriend in front of everyone and fuck Jonah in private, and that just felt a lil wrong for me. and... truth is i can't truly feel the supposed "love" Roman and his Bible Boy Jonah keep talking about, that's also probably bc i haven't read the full-length book itself so let's just carry on lol.
② Say My Name by Ashley James - 𝟯.𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
this was pretty fucking hot, ngl 🤭 basically just smut, tho, nothing more, but i loved the way they met and Mateo is pretty sexy lol. can't really say there's any true connection between them without sex, however.❝You're so pretty, cariño.❞ The rough gravel of his voice sends a shiver down my spine as his devilish eyes, sinful and gleaming, devour me. ❝I bet you bleed pretty. I bet you cry pretty, too.❞ His body towers over mine now, full, cherry-red lips brushing against my ear. ❝And I bet when you're turned inside out and fucking ruined for me, you'll be the prettiest fucking mess I've ever tasted.❞
i - i - i - no words 😌😩🥰🥵
i was cringing over the use of "cunt" here, tho. i mean, wtf, why's that being used here instead of asshole?? if it's not a cunt, it shouldn't be called one, imo. unless it's like a kink or something - and i'm not shaming any kink here - but that doesn't seem to be the case here, so...??
regardless, i'm being warily optimistic for the full-length book now bc i actually liked the characters? - surprise surprise - after hating some of the characters from her other books this was a nice change lmao. but this one completely has promise, i feel, and i can't wait to see where this goes!! 💗
③ Briar & Bramble by Ashlyn Drewek - 𝟯 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
i have to say, this was a lil underwhelming after reading Leander Welles. i didn't love the way the relationship was executed between Aaron and Alex, it could have been so much better. 😔
thing is, it did have a lot of potential with the stepbrother + second chance trope, but the angst was told and not seen and that didn't work for me lol.
④ By the Throat by Bailey Nicole - 𝟯.𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
well, now i really want to check out His Revelry, it sounds so insane but also so tempting?? Devin + Rome were just so crazy and fucked up. and their kinks were 🔥🔥. i just didn't like the sharing in this, bc i feel like if there's already an established couple i love jealousy scenes but it shouldn't go beyond that, y'know. regardless, i enjoyed reading this and now i'm definitely gonna pick up that book sometime!!
⑤ Collided by Becca Steele - 𝟰.𝟮𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
i loved this one so much, i swear!! i'm excited for this one now. 💕
finally this antho kinda picked up for me lol. i love Cole and Huxley so much already 😭 - plus, i'm such a sucker for the angry stepbrothers trope and adding that to fighting and making each other bloody?? 😌🥰
plus, Cole tbh has a pretty special place in my heart after the way he riled up Huxley but also was so soft with him 🥺 - we all love soft assholes.The finger tracing across my chest trembled. ❝Huxley. Look at me.❞
Slowly, I turned my head to meet his gaze, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. His brown eyes were wide and so fucking pretty, brimming with emotion. When he leaned forwards, I couldn't breathe, but he just wrapped one arm around my shoulder and gently pulled me into him. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and let him hold me.
❝I'm so fucking glad you're okay,❞ he said thickly.
i adored the hurt/comfort + "let me take care of you" tropes here, it really worked for me!! and the way they came together was just 🤌✨.
basically, can't wait to read the full-length novel for this! i think it's gonna be a blast. 😌
⑥ Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters - 𝟰.𝟳𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
okay this one?? HOLY SHIT THIS WAS JUST SOO GOOD. Nate and Xavi's story was just filled with so much obsession and possession and i loved that. 🤌😩
the angst?
the tone of this??
the way they're so in tune with each other oml. i love it already. and i need their story asap!! this is by far my fave story in the anthology, it was just soo good oof. 😭✨
p.s. - i'm wondering if Carter and Easton and the other boys have a story too, bc i'd definitely read that!! i loved the setting of this sm, and the way it's written is absolutely brilliant.
⑦ Lies of Omission by C. Lymari - 𝟯 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
the whole time my face was like:
bc i really didn't understand wtf was happening. so, enough said lol. plus, it was wayy too short for me to even connect with the characters or feel their motivations, so... yeah.
⑧ Never Will I Ever by C.E. Ricci - 𝟰 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
i was really captivated by Avery and Kaleb's story! but from what i can tell, Avery got rejected and that is why he did what he did, so i want some actual communication in the full-length book to happen, plss. also, i really do have a soft spot for Avery rn 🥺 - and Kaleb, not much, lol.
⑨ Not Your Sweetheart by Hayden Hall - 𝟯 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
①⓪ Twisted Valentine by Isabel Lucero - 𝟯.𝟮𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
the way Kaspian and Quin's relationship was so disjointed and dysfunctional and filled with jealousy - this was basically a tale of obsession and twisted possessiveness, not love, truly. but in a strange way, i could believe that they loved each other in their own way - dark ways, nonetheless, but a way indeed, and i liked their story.
①① Forgive Me by J.R. Gray - 𝟮.𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
①② Sweet Wicked Thing by Jessie Walker - 𝟰 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
Vale and Aston's story was crazily fucked up. and i liked every bit of it? no, truly, i did. the writing was just as ✨immaculate✨ as ever. and no surprise there that i loved the crazy-ass characters. but now i need more context omg - what truly happened that night?? 👀
also i truly have such a soft spot for Aston lol even tho he was just so screwed up, i was absolutely riveted by him bc i truly connected to him. now Vale... he was more than just a little mystery, and i can't wait to see what happens next.
p.s. - why the fuck didn't i know that Little Bird Lost was gonna be mfmm? i mean, i don't mind sharing, but i prefer to know beforehand, y'know. regardless, i am pretty excited for that release on 18th March <3
①③ Mustang's Torment by Misty Walker - 𝗱𝗻𝗳 (𝗶'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝘀𝗼)
①④ The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes - 𝟯.𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
①⑤ Wet by Riley Nash - 𝟰.𝟮𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
okay wow, i really enjoyed Darius and Tate's story!! i didn't expect that little kink to come into play like it did, but it suited them really well. and ngl, i love Darius so much, he was just so precious and fragile and vulnerable sometimes ughh even while he was presenting a tough and cocky exterior. and Tate was perfect to push his boundaries and take control.❝There's nothing wrong with you. Say it.❞
Panicking a little, he tries to tug away, but I just hold him more firmly. ❝Say it.❞
He makes a pained sound as his eyes search mine, pleading for help. ❝There's nothing - Um, there's...❞ His voice breaks. ❝Damn it.❞
❝Look at you.❞ I pull him against me, my hands caressing the muscles of his bare back. ❝You are a perfect disaster.❞
and, i absolutely ADORED the cameo of Victor!! my bby 🥺 <33
①⑥ Hateful Love by T. Ashleigh - 𝟰 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 ★
okay holy shit the tension in this one?? OFF THE FUCKING CHARTS. but the turn that last chapter in this took was just not anticipated by me, bc the first few chapters i was like
i swear, i really was that bored. but, i have a weakness for those scenes where the fighting and kissing happens, bc omfg that's just the hottest imo 🥵 so the higher rating, lol. otherwise this failed to grab my attention in the beginning. i might be tempted to read the full-length for this one, tho, now that Silas and Blaine have got my attention. 👀 -
despite having some real winners here, overall im annoyed and feel slightly cheated by the anthology.
i went into this wanting to read some complete stories with HEA or HFN endings. i didn’t want to be left hanging and having to wait several months to a year for the rest of the story :/
if just a handful were set up like this, to be teasers to full-length novels later in the year, i wouldn’t have minded. but my god, one after the other after the other ended in “to be continued!” and “preorder the full length novel to see how it ends!”
at least be transparent about it in the beginning of each story! C.E. Ricci tells you in the beginning of Never Will I Ever that the story doesn’t have a conclusion so i skipped it! I wish all of them had done this because now that ive finished the anthology there were only a handful that were actual complete stories. the rest are teasers to full length books and i was so tired yall😭😭😭 i was truly so sick of it. it was draining to get to the end of each story craving a conclusive ending but instead are given links to preorders.
or some of them were couples from books that are already out. i enjoy this because you can revisit couples you know and love, but it’s also hard to get into their short novella if you haven’t read the OG story.
so i feel like for the most part this anthology comes with soooo many strings attached. i just wanted to read some isolated novellas without anything else needing to be read before and after.
it got so exhausting that by the half way point, i refused to just go in blind and read the story bcos it sounded good or bcos i like the author. i would skip to the end of each story to see if it ended with the dreaded “to be continued...” bullshit i had seen far too many times throughout the anthology.
my enjoyment for the stories waned significantly. the whole experience was pretty exhausting, eurgh.
the only complete novellas i am aware of in the anthology are:Briar and Bramble — Ashlyn Drewek.
Forgive Me — J. R. Gray
Not Your Sweetheart — Hayden Hall
The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy — Nicole Dykes
Wet — Riley Nash
below are my separate reviews for the stories i read!
*****
Wet by Riley Nash — 2 stars ⭐️i didn’t like this one, hmmm. it’s not bad nor do i actively dislike like it for a particular reason, i just didn’t vibe with it. im indifferent to this one more than anything, tbh. the premise initially really intrigued me but i couldn’t get invested in the dynamic between Tate and Dare.
not bad, just not for me :)
*****
The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes — 4.5 stars ⭐️RIVAL RACE-CAR DRIVERS WHO HAVE HATED EACH OTHER FOR YEARS FALLING IN LOVE???????
this is basically IlyaShane but racing drivers instead of hockey players. this one is my fave of the anthology so far, i loved this 😭😭😭😭 Nicole Dykes never lets me down, ily girl<3
of all the novellas here that i wished weren’t going to be full length novel, Nicole’s is the only one i wished was 👹 this as a full-length novel would have slapped.
bad boy x golden boy, you will always be famous!!
He doesn’t beg. He doesn’t ask for anything. Ever.
Except when he’s with me.
*****
Sweet Wicked Thing by Jessie Walker — 3 stars ⭐️this was so deliriously unhinged, i truly don’t know what to make of it😭 the premise is incredibly unique and fucked up. Vale is super intriguing, i can’t quite pin him down, while Aston was hilariously fucked up he had me giggling he truly had me
but i am so sick of the amount of stories in this anthology that are unfinished like i truly wanna rip my hair out it’s so frustrating 💀😭 i have only read one so far that’s complete is this a joke???
*****
Hateful Love by T. Ashleigh — 3 stars ⭐️meh. this was every high school romance ever.
*****
Lies of Omission by C. Lymari — 2 stars⭐️this was so confusing lmao. the timelines were all over the place and the author didn’t do a good job signalling what occurred at what time.the story was so incoherent that it was so hard to follow. idk how to even describe it :/ ive read Swan Song by this author before and that was in the same ball-park— trying too hard to keep up the edgy mysteriousness by withholding information but failing miserably and just ends up writing a story that doesn’t make any sense.
im curious to see what the full-length book would be like but not entirely tempted. the fact that this is so messy isn’t even the fault of it being a novella when it’s planned to be full-length— most of the stories i have read so far are gonna be full-length novels and they were perfectly coherent.
so yeah... this one was a flop.
*****
Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters — 4 stars ⭐️”Xavi?” he calls, waiting until I turn my head to look him in the eye. “You’re dead to me, you understand? If I ever have to look at your face again, I’ll break it.”
oh this one hurt me, i can’t lie😭😭
Bethany knows how to write some toxic possessive little shit heads, my true kryptonite <3 Xavi and Nate were no different. they were pretty unique to me, super intriguing and i found their dynamic to be addictive.
i loved Xavi— he was so hopeful and refreshing, but still so sad and rough around the edges. i truly adore him and just want him to be happy, and hope he makes Nate suffer in their full length book because damn i didn’t like Nate.
but that doesn’t mean i didn’t like the way he hated Xavi so much lol. the intense hatred and angst was so fun to read, even if it hurt me at times. the premise of the story was just so fascinating that i couldn’t help but be riveted by this one.
i want their book so bad now, im low-key annoyed so many of these novellas aren’t completed stories. i want Nate on his knees grovelling to my baby Xavi🥺😪
This hate inside me feels like a living, breathing thing, and it wants Xavi Hart.
*****
Collided by Becca Steele — 4 stars⭐️Becca Steele writes two angsty teenage boys who hate each other and constantly beat the shit out of each other, and im gonna love it. it’s like she writes this shit just for me🥰 the step-brothers dynamic as just as added bonus, too.
this had me feeling all kinds of giddy, i loved Huxley and Cole so much!!
i need the rest of their story ASAP🤲🏻
*****
By the Throat by Bailey Nicole — 3 stars⭐️Sometimes, like now, I just want to crush him. I want to wrap my hand around his face, hook my fingers in his mouth, and tug him back by his hair. He needs to feel me, so he never forgets that I’m here.
His Revelry is one of my fave MM books ever. i seriously wish i could read it for the first time all over again and recapture that euphoric feeling of reading these two depraved fuck-wits fall in love🙏🏻
when i heard that we were revisiting them in this anthology, i was SO EXCITED. i couldn’t wait for this... until i found out about the ménage bullshit💀 i was immediately turned off and didn’t want to read this.
now don’t get me wrong, i enjoy poly and RH romances, and im not against sharing scenes but... for Rome and Devin a sharing scene does not canonically make any sense to me. Bailey Nicole wrote them to be so toxically possessive, like Rome sets a girl’s car on fire and almost kills her all because she’d slept with Devin in the past 😭😭😭😭 and now you’re telling me they’re fine with sharing? what?
authors need to stop including them purely for the raunchy smut— i know it ruined
Never Have I Ever: Submitted to My Enemy for a lot of people when Willow Dixon included sharing scenes in the bonus epilogue. while the whole Devil’s Night series is a mess rife with unnecessary orgies. someone needs to start a petition to get authors to pack this shit up!
“Never fucking stop looking at me,” I grit out.
“Oh, but I haven’t, Dev,” he breathes across my lips.
that being said, seeing my babies again made me feel so deranged. the jealousy stuff was fun, i will admit i enjoyed it. just, when it veered into the sexual territory, i was out :/ Rome pushing Devin’s buttons was one thing, i didn’t like the sharing. don’t get me wrong, the smut was so good but i just don’t think it made sense to the couple dynamic that Bailey Nicole had set up in the original story.
this by no means ruined them, not at all. it just felt unnecessary and id rather our revisiting them had been something different, just the two of them. my two little psychos😩🥰
Being wrapped up in him is when I feel freer than I’ve ever been.
*****
Briar and Bramble by Ashlyn Drewek — 4 stars⭐️im a whore for the stepbrothers trope, okay? i see stepbrothers, i click. simple.
the chemistry and tension was so good with a touch of angst and pining. novellas that feel complete and fleshed out despite the limited space to do so are always a winner in my book. and the smut was hot, Ashlyn never lets me down🙏🏻
*****
Not Your Sweetheart by Hayden Hall — 3 stars⭐️cute, casual “enemies” to lovers hockey romance. nothing revolutionary. pretty sure ive read this story or some reiteration of it a million times before. but it has its charms.
*****
Say My Name by Ashley James — 1 star ⭐️i really didn’t like this one. honestly, it was pretty unbearable to read, i can’t lie. Matteo was a grade A twat. he is genuinely not a nice person, you can’t convince me otherwise. his arrogance and lack of remorse for what he did was so gross to me. yes, Travis’ ex is the cheater but Matteo didn’t need to be so smug about being the home wrecker. a little empathy would be nice.
when he told Travis “no wonder your bf cheated on you with me because you’re so boring and bitter”, i physically recoiled while reading. the entire story just made me feel awful, i don’t use the word “hate” often in my reviews but yeah... i will let y’all interpret that :)
and PSA, can authors stop using female anatomy to describe male anatomy in MM books. that is a butthole, ma’am. -
![moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645500038i/37448930._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
WAIT NVM, i just discovered
The Pretty Boy VS. The Bad Boy is getting its own full length?? i'm so happy bc this was one of the ones i wanted its own story and thought we weren't getting it. 🥺
***
books i've read (just the ones that caught my interest):
Briar and Bramble (Ashlyn Drewek) — 3 stars. i've loved pretty much most of Ashlyn Drewek's books i've picked up (Leander and Bennett being one of my top favorite couples 🥹) so i was disappointed this didn't hit the same. if anything, it felt underwhelming to me. the mcs were okay. the romance was okay. it was just there.
Collided (Becca Steele) — 4 stars
Like You Hate Me (Bethany Winters) — 4.5 stars. THIS WAS ANGSTY AF. begging the full length novel will be good bc, from that damn cliffhanger, this has potential to become a favorite, but there's also a possibility i'll hate it. just depends on where the story goes after the cliffhanger. a certain someone better grovel, i swear. oh, and the side characters?? they intrigued me as well (*cough* especially Carter 👀).
Lies of Omission (C. Lymari) — 3-3.5 stars. kinda confused on this one tbh. it was... okay. some parts had me intrigued, but mostly i was just like wtf is going on lol. i'm probably gonna try the full length once it comes out to see if things might make sense then but, for now, this was something. 🤣
Twisted Valentine (Isabel Lucero) — 4.5 stars. MY BABIES!! i was so happy they had a lil novella of their own. i loved revisiting Kas and Quin and it just made me realize how much i missed them. 🥰
Sweet Wicked Thing (Jessie Walker) — 4.5 stars
The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy (Nicole Dykes) — 4 stars. this was a surprise to me bc i thought it was just another 'friends with benefits in secret' situation and, although it was that, these two had some moments that made me tear up and, by the end, i found myself wishing this was one of the novellas with a full length novel bc the potential for good development was there, but i still liked this overall!
Hateful Love (T. Ashleigh) — 4.5 stars. this was another surprise to me bc the beginning was just okay. i thought "oh this is gonna be one of those stories" bc, while i do like cliche (as long as the author puts their own spin to it), i didn't find anything special at first but, as i kept reading, i found myself invested?? by the time they finally kissed, i just wanted more. can't believe we have to wait until 2024 though, but i'm looking forward to see how the story develops (if i can remember it by then lmao).
overall, most of the ones i've read from the anthology have worked for me. i just hate how i have to wait for the full length ones to release, but i'm probably gonna end up reading them when they come out anyways. for now, i'm not really interested in checking out the others (but my mind could always change in the future, except for a select few i know i won't pick up lol). -
Until I read the other stories in this anthology, this review is for Wet by Riley Nash
Rating 4.5 stars
Themes:
Rivals to lovers, bisexual exploration, kink
Blurb:
Dare and Tate are rivals because Dare took Tate’s place on their swimming relay team. They have to spend time together because Dare is injured, and Tate needs to help him with the rehab part. And they end up falling in love.
My thoughts:
I don’t really know how to put words on how I feel about this story but if I had to only use one word to describe how I feel about this story, it would be obsessed.
If you ask my best friend, I’m pretty sure that I sent her about 30 messages about this story while I was reading it and that they all say "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, this story is so good" in all caps. I just could not contain my excitement about this story, due to how much I was enjoying every second of it.
It’s not secrets that I love almost everything that Riley Nash has ever done. His stories are super lovely and I always have a wonderful time reading them and it was the same thing for this one. I always adore a good rival to lovers story that includes a lot of bantering, hatred that feels like foreplay and really hot sex scenes and this story gave me everything I could have ever asked for.
I absolutely adored the rivals to lovers aspect of this one. I loved how they kept bickering about each other and how they had competitions to see who would one up each other, I thought that it was very fun to read. I just adored how all that they wanted was to one up each other and do better than the other person. I was so engaged in their rivalry and it made me keep reading the book to see what happens after, so it really worked for me.
I really want to talk about the kink in this one because it was just so good, I adored every seconds of it. This story was so hot and every kinky scene just kept getting better and better, and I adored the dirty talk in this one. Everything about this was just very hot. And I really liked the aftercare and the hugs too, it was just so cute.
Also, I adored the romance in this one. Tate and Dare were just perfect for each other. I just loved their back and forth and all of the interactions that they share, everything was so good. And I adored how Tate just wanted to take care of Dare, it honestly was just so good. And they had so much chemistry and just seemed perfect together. I just adored these two as a couple.
I had the best of time reading this one and I really just want to go to page 1 and read it all over again.
I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion -
*** I read complimentary novellas from this anthology for review.***
I really have enjoyed the collection of novellas in this exciting bully, dark, and enemies-to-lovers stories within this anthology. My favorite MM authors have each added their own story to this great collection that I have thoroughly enjoyed every story so far.
Collided by Becca Steele is a great novella featuring Huxley and Cole. Their parents recently married, making these two stepbrothers immediate enemies, which leads to many tense moments where they do not hold back their intense animosity towards one another. Over time though their close proximity to one another cools the intense anger and hatred they have for one another. This story left on a cliffhanger and I cannot wait to read more from them and see how their relationship moves forward given their challenging situation.
Hateful Love by T. Ashleigh is another steamy novella featuring Silas and Blaine. They are both in high school together and socialize in different cliques. They have a rivalry where they do not get along, but while going to a school party everything changes. This encounter was so incredibly steamy, that I was so bummed that there wasn't more. I am genuinely curious as to where their story goes from here. Cannot wait for more.
Wet by Riley Nash features professional swimmer Dare and retired swimmer turned coach Tate. This novella story was a classic Riley Nash story where they are so many feelings that I was not expecting. The depth of the pain and suffering coming from Dare was definitely unexpected, making his dynamic with Tate complicated and extremely vulnerable. I really enjoyed their story and I would love to see more from them, but I am satisfied with where things ended.
Prom King by Andi Jaxon is so much fun. I love getting any new snippets from Jonah and Roman. Their relationship is addicting, steamy, and at times very toxic. This novella focuses on their Prom Night, which is nothing short of dramatic and intense. Having to hide their relationship creates many complications and I loved seeing how they both process and deal with this challenge. There are so many great moments between the two, making this such a great story.
Say my Name by Ashley James focuses on what happens when you are locked out of your apartment during a blizzard and the only person available to help is the person who slept with your boyfriend of five years. Say My Name explores how in one day, Mateo and Travis learn that they might be something other than enemies. Their encounter together is intense, hot and leaves me so excited to see what happens next.
The Race Between The Pretty Boy and The Bad Boy by Nicole dykes: is a great novella featuring two competitive racecar drivers, Sebastian and Axel who have been secretly hooking up for years. They are both closeted and Sebastian after much thought decides he wants more from his life. The question is whether or not he will be alone once his decision is made. Overall I loved this story, these two guys have so much heart and I loved seeing all of their moments together. I wouldn't mind getting to see more from them in a full-length novel.
Briar & Bramble by Ashlyn Drewek focuses on two stepbrothers who have been estranged for ten years. They are forced to help one another on Valentine's Day to help fulfill a Valentine's Day order and due to their forced proximity long-buried feelings, and repressed emotions come bubbling to the surface. I really enjoyed these two characters and how much they cared about one another. Seeing their relationship change so much in the course of a few days was so much fun to see. -
I read quite a few of these short stories and some of them I liked very much!
So why only 3 stars you might ask? Because for me, for an anthology this was pretty disappointing. A lot of the stories in here are only the beginning of a full-length novel to come, with no conclusion in here whatsoever —so really just some kind of tease. And with my goldfish brain I won’t ever be able to remember any details of the shorts until the full-length release so I would have to read the whole damn thing anew anyway. Or they were some kind of companion to a book already published and they didn’t make much sense without the bigger picture.
Anyway… here are the ones I read or just want to comment on:
♥︎ BRIAR & BRAMBLE by Ashlyn Drewek - 5.0 stars
I absolutely loved everything about this stepbrother-second-chance!! —the characters Aaron and Alex, their reunion, the whole vibe of their two businesses and their story of misunderstanding and finally stopping wasting time and give into what they both wanted for forever. ♡♡♡ ⇢ Standalone
♥︎ WET by Riley Nash - 4.5 stars
Wow, this was intense with all the deep feels I know Riley Nash can pull from me easily.
This short is surprisingly kinky (humiliation kink) and hot. That Darius in his desperation is fighting Tate tooth and nails makes it even hotter while simultaneously makes you want to wrap him in a blanket and give him all the love. The end is not a full-fleshed HEA but you can easily see them getting there. Somewhere along the way. ⇢ Standalone
♥︎ BY THE THROAT by Bailey Nicole - 4.0 stars
Wow, in its own way this was as fucked up and depraved as its predecessor. This is a companion (or sequel?) to "His Revelry" and I’m glad I read it last year (even tho I don’t remember much of the details —well I had my review, at least *lol).
♥︎ NOT YOUR SWEETHEART by Hayden Hall - 4.0 stars
There was nothing new or particularly special about this rather light and sexy college hockey enemies to lovers story but the execution was good for such a short read and I really liked it. ⇢ Standalone
♥︎ FORGIVE ME by J.R. Gray - *no rating
Phew, I’m honestly not sure what to make of this. It was good in it’s twisted ways but also totally depraved and absolutely not what I expected. ⇢ Standalone
♥︎ PROM KING by Andi Jaxon - *no rating
Uhm… I think without the context of Jonah’s and Roman’s whole story (that I didn’t have) this was pretty… confusing and weird. It all made a little more sense after I read the last few chapters of Bully King that made my experience with this bonus short a lot better. I loved their Prom dance in the hallway, tho.
♥︎ COLLIDED by Becca Steele - 3.0 stars
This new-stepbrothers enemies-to-lovers was boring af. But it got pretty sweet towards the end, so it wasn’t a total miss. What made me pretty angry tho was that this is going to be some kind of prequel to the author’s LSU series and I thought it’s going to be concluded here. But no. Another one that ends with preorder here. Anyway, I’m not convinced of this so far anyway, so I guess (alongside with the not so glowing reviews) I won’t read the LSU series anytime soon, if ever.
♥︎ SWEET WICKED THINGS by Jessie Walker - tbr
Not read; I’m patiently waiting for their whole story to come on Halloween to get all of the sweet wicked things at once. I can’t wait!!
♥︎ NEVER WILL I EVER by C.E. Ricci - tbr
Not read; I’m looking forward to the full-length novel coming for this couple, but I’m probably reading Don’t You Dare again before it releases.♥︎♥︎♥︎ HAPPY VALENTINES DAY ♥︎♥︎♥︎
-
I'm going to write reviews as I read along!
✨Sweet Wicked Thing by Jessie Walker✨— 5 stars
“You’re a sweet little thing, aren’t you?” He says the words so quietly, I can’t even be sure they’re for me. “Sweet under all that filth.”
The first thing I did when I opened this anthology was to read Sweet Wicked Thing. This has been highly anticipated for me since I will read anything by Jessie Walker because of how much I adore the
Lost Boy Series. And this did not disappoint! It was dark, toxic, sexy, and so addicting. I seriously cannot wait for Vale and Aston’s full-length novel. I already know it’s going to consume me. The little bit we got already has 😍
“You like it when I hurt you, don’t you?” he says, trailing his fingers over my bruised, beaten flesh. “You like being at my mercy, you sick little freak.”
We know Jessie Walker knows how to write sex scenes but this? Everything about that scene was HOT 🥵 These two have such amazing chemistry already and we only got the first 8 chapters. I can’t imagine what the rest of the novel is going to be like. I just know it’s going to blow my mind. Aston isn’t the only one who has a dark side to him, Vale does too. I can tell they’re going to be incredibly toxic and so obsessed with each other but in the most addicting way to read about. We get grumpy/sunshine, jealousy, possessive MC, ex foster brothers, and they both share a messed up past that I cannot wait to find out more about.
✨Say My Name by Ashley James✨ — 6 stars 😍
“You’re so pretty, cariño.” The rough gravel of his voice sends a shiver down my spine as his devilish eyes, sinful and gleaming, devour me. “I bet you bleed pretty. I bet you cry pretty, too.” His body towers over mine now, full, cherry red lips brushing against my ear. “And I bet when you’re turned inside out and fucking ruined for me, you’ll be the prettiest fucking mess I’ve ever tasted.”
That was damn good, what the actual fuck! My jaw was on the floor. Say My Name is about Travis who walked in on his boyfriend, of 5 years, cheating on him and decides to move out. But what happens when you move across the hall from the person who your boyfriend cheated with, and you end up getting locked out of your apartment and stuck together because of a snow storm?
My teeth ache to sink into his perfect complexation, marking him for anyone to see. Marking him as mine, because if he thinks this is truly just tonight, he’s got another thing coming.
These two were fire absolute together. Their tension and chemistry was lighting up my kindle. Mateo, what a kinky, dirty mouthed man! And the fact that Travis is getting down with the man who his boyfriend cheated with. What an intriguing twist 🥵 Mateo became so possessive so fast and I LOVED it. And the aftercare? Oh my god. That sex scene was one of the sexiest scenes I’ve ever read.
Watching him writhe with my hands roaming his body is almost too much, but I don’t let it show. His body is beautiful; a pale blank canvas with long limbs and smooth skin. God, he’d look so fucking good marked up by me. Something I plan to do in spades. Leave bruises, cut him open and watch him bleed, have him begging for mercy.
I am just….wow….This is only the second story I’ve read so far but I already know it’s going to one of my favorites. And we’re getting more of this couple based on the ending. So, I need that like yesterday. How is it possible to make me love characters so much with such little pages!?
✨The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes✨ — 4.75 stars
What if they knew? Knew that Sebastian Harris, their golden boy, loves to fuck men just as much as he loves to be fucked by them. That he’s a goddamned animal in the sack. That he likes it rough. Loves to bite and manhandle. That his cock has left me walking funny many, many times after fucking me so hard.
Another one I absolutely loved! My ultimate weakness is the dark hair bad boy x the blonde golden boy, so I ATE this up. Axel and Sebastian are both race car drivers who are ultimate rivals. Axel is all dark persona with his leather jacket, tattoos, and cocky attitude. Whereas Sebastian is clean cut, with his blue eyes and blonde hair, and the person everyone loves. But what happens when they’re secretly hooking up with each other?
Over the years, my heart was starting to look to me like a dumbass, falling for the bad boy of the racing world, but I never in a million years thought he was falling for me right back. In the race between the bad boy and the pretty boy, I thought I’d eventually lose.
It honestly surprises me so much that I can grow to love characters this much with such little that we got. This story is about Axel and Sebastian's relationship but it’s also about the struggles that comes with coming out to the media in sports. We also get a look into their future together and it was damn perfect!
✨Hateful Love by T. Ashleigh✨ — 3 stars
Who fucks their enemy… and likes it?
Silas and Blaine hate each other. They’re opposites in every way. Silas is the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks where Blaine is the rich popular quarterback. I wasn’t feeling these two. It just felt like they actually hated each other and that was it. I didn’t feel any underlying tension or chemistry between these two. Plus, the reason they became enemies was so stupid. This is why most high school romances don’t work for me because it seems so immature and childish. These two are getting a full-length book but I’m not sure if I’m intrigued enough to read it…
✨Twisted Valentine by Isabel Lucero✨ — 4 stars
“You are the sum of all my favorite things. You’re everything I desire rolled into one. Now come in my mouth and let me taste just how fucking twisted you are.”
Well that was a very romantic valentines day... 😳...I've never read knife play before so that was ....😳😳 I've never read their full novel
Dysfunctional but this definitely left me intrigued. Kaspien and Quin (Ezra) are both psychopaths (or one is a sociopath and the other is a psychopath I'm not quite sure since I didn't read their novel) and they literally kill people together because that's just their hobby. Overall, this was possessive and spicy and they find some interesting ways to spend their valentines day together. I would love to see how their relationship progressed to what it is in this anthology so I might read their novel. They seemed to really care for each other in their own twisted way and they take possessiveness and jealously to a whole knew level 🥵
✨Briar & Bramble by Ashlyn Drewek✨ — 2 stars
“I love you, Aaron. I’ve always loved you. In every possible way.”
Aaron and Alex are stepbrothers who have been estranged for 10 years. To be honest I didn't enjoy this one. I didn't feel their connection and their sex scenes were so awkward. This also has the miscommunication trope which always annoys the hell out of me. Alex also had a boyfriend in this and he was so quickly forgotten about I was like ??? What was even the point of him having a boyfriend in this.
✨Never Will I Ever by C.E. Ricci✨ — 4 stars
When I went to go read this I saw the authors note saying that this is a standalone but it was highly recommend to go read
Don't You Dare first, so I went and did that (and I fucking loved it btw) and thank god I did because it would have totally spoiled it. Plus reading that, you get the lead up to where Avery is in this book. I love redemption stories so I'm damn excited to read this. Kaleb and Avery had great chemistry right off the bat plus the mentions of Keene and Aspen, my heart 🥺 Loved the concept of this story, Avery having to be a camp counsellor (to get back on the good side of the Uni's Dean) for younger kids along side Kaleb. I have a feeling we're all going to go soft for Avery and we'll end up falling in love with him despite the mistakes he has made 🥺
✨By the Throat by Bailey Nicole✨ — 4.5 stars
“You fucking own me, right, Dev?” he breathes, almost sweetly. “Maybe you’ll have to prove it.”
I... wow...oof that had me by the throat 🥵 I do not like sharing especially if they're an established couple. I don't mind poly romances if that's what the book is, so I was hesitant going into this. However, I was pleasantly surprised. For one, this was hot as fuck. And two it was very clear that Rome and Dev loved each other and there was no one that could replace what they have. They didn't do this because they weren't satisfied in their relationship or anything like that. It was purely because Rome is a little shit and wants to get a rise out of Dev. I loved the reassurances we got about them and I loved how respecting Julian was of Dev and Rome's relationship. During the threesome, boundaries were set and Julian followed through with everything and he listened to everything Dev said. I loved that 🥰 I never read
His Revelry but I definitely need to check it out and Bailey Nicole in general because I haven't read one of their books before.
✨Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters✨ — 1 stars
I did not like one single word of this. Nate is a pure vile asshole and I hated him. Both characters were unlikable in my opinion. The comment about how Nate doesn’t want to have sex without a condom with Xavi because he “doesn’t trust a slut like him” when Nate is one sleeping around *major eye rolls*. All the drama with Nate having sex with Carter and Carter having sex with Xavi, so much OTT drama in the most annoying way. Nate blames Xavi for his sister’s death and he hates Xavi’s guts, like seriously, but wants to fuck him, claim him, keep him away from other people and all that shit? Like did you forget that Xavi supposedly “killed” your sister? Idk but it just kinda made no sense to me. Everything about this did not work for me and I don’t really have any interest in reading the full length novel. -
In order of appearance: (completed)
Prom King by Andi Jaxon
Felt like dub-con and other crazy shit on prom night.
Say My Name by Ashley James
Surprise! Your new neighbor is the guy your ex cheated on you with. You have an intense sexual encounter with him and have lots of inner monologue about it.
Briar & Bramble by Ashlyn Drewek
Ashlyn is a pro at the novella and building these cute small town settings where the town feels like a character in itself.
Stepbrother animosity to lovers is a fave trope of mine.
”I like everything when it comes to you”
This was sweet.
By the Throat by Bailey Nicole.
After I finished His Revelry I knew that I wanted/needed more of Devin and Rome.
Rome is his taunting self. Devin’s intense as usual. They own each other.
In true Bailey style, you get a nice dose of hot moments to ratchet up the tension and the tension is high. 🔥
Highly recommend playing the music mentioned (Sugar by Sleep Token) while reading ‘that’ scene.
Collided by Becca Steele
Becca doing what she does best with enemies to lovers. Stepbrothers just elevated that. Levi and Asher (Savage Rivals) will always be #1 for me but Cole and Huxley are now right up there behind them.
”I think you already know the answer to that”
Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters
The angst. This is a tale of grief.
It constantly kept surprising me though.
That “to be continued….” hurt.
Waiting impatiently for the full length novel.
”Don’t act like you don’t know”
Lies of Omission by C.Lymari
Private Academy
Boys in blazers
Starting from boys in “rival” families to men on opposite sides of the law.
Needs a good editing but I definitely want to see where this goes.
Never Will I Ever by CE Ricci
Enjoyed the PNW summer camp vibes
Good tension leading up to the “moment”
If you read Don’t You Dare, you will have some background.
Not Your Sweetheart by Hayden Hall
Can always trust Hayden for a good time with lovable f*ckboys.
Hockey! 🏒
College athletes
“Enemies” to lovers
”Oh, sweetheart, you really haven’t been paying attention the last half hour, have you?”
Mustang’s Torment by Misty Walker
Mechanic shop
Motorcycle club
Opposites attract (rich/poor)
Uh-oh, your bully from back in HS shows up and now there’s some UST.
I was entertained but in general motorcycle club books aren’t my thing.
The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes
I’m happy to start seeing more Racecar drivers in the MM romance world. These guys felt so real and they were hot hot hot.
Rival drivers
Love Wins!
Hateful Love by T. Ashleigh
Boy from the wrong side of the tracks/Golden Boy quarterback of the football team
Will never not love this opposites attract pairing. Combine that with small town dynamics and I’m pretty happy.
High school
Enemies to……we will have to see in their upcoming full length book!
I’ve left four stories un-read for personal sensitivity reasons. -
I will do a mini review for every story I read
Sweet Wicked Things by Jessie Walker 5/5
The night I saved his life.
The night I stole his future.
The night I dammed us to a lie.
That's what you get for poking first, sugar
Miss Jessie!! Vale and Aston are going to be the death of me. This was just only eight chapters but the peek we get of the darkness, the madness, the obsession, and all the things we just do not know yet....I can't wait. This story will put me through some intense emotions, and I am ready for it.
"You're a sweet little thing, aren't you...underneath all that filth."
This was a great peek into what is to come as we will get a full novel! Please head trigger warnings, as this story is dark and deals with heavy themes and topics.
By The Throat by Bailey Nicole 5/5
"That’s the thing about Rome. He wants me to rough him up, control him, force him, yet somehow, I’m the one perpetually trapped in his snare. He has me by the throat, even when my hand is wrapped around his"
Dev and Rome! I loved them so much in
His Revelry and was so excited to get this short story! Rome is as sick and twisted as ever. I enjoyed this story as well. I am not a fan of sharing/threesomes, but I appreciated Bailey for the warning, so I was prepared going in. Their relationship is so twisted, but the actions make sense in their context of them! I hope we get more of them in the future! I love Bailey's writing and am excited for what is coming from them this year!
While these characters have their own book, this short story can be read as a standalone (BUT I heavily recommend checking out their book). Please head the trigger warnings as well!
Hateful Love by T.Ashleigh 5/5
"I kiss him again and he moans, hands wrapping around me, pulling me closer to him. We’re rutting, groaning messes, rolling around on the forest floor like two animals mauling each other. It's dirty, crazed, and honestly really damn hot."
Blaine and Silas! Coming from different worlds, enemies to-lovers vibe, the bad boy and the all American popular Jock combo has got me going crazy! Can't wait for their full story! I've come to adore T.Ashleigh's stories, so this was no different. I love the preview we get for their upcoming novel, and I am excited for it. I know this one is going to be good!
Wet by Riley Nash 5/5
"If his disgust feels this good, some part of me needs to know what he’ll do if I really try my best, if he’ll see me like no one ever does."
"He took a flying leap off the cliff, and now he’s frantic for someone to hold his hand as he falls, to keep him from hitting the ground. No, not someone. Me."
Riley Nash's entry for Anti-Valentine Anthology was one of my most anticipated reads, and Wet delivered everything I have come to love about Riley's stories and writing. Hurt, emotionally broken men coming together, coupled with their beautiful intense prose, hits you right in the heart.
What happens when a younger, brighter swimmer replaces you? Pushed out and forgotten by your teammates and coaches. And while at your lowest, your boyfriend leaves you. What happens when you and that young swimmer bicker back and forth on social media, and you learn that the young swimmer is not who he seems and carries loneliness and pain so deep?
This novella was well-paced and felt whole while leaving the reader wanting for more. Darius and Tate are so perfect for one another. Darius needed someone to see him, direct him, praise and punish him. Not let him become self-destructive as he deals with internalized biphobia and familial obligation that pushed him away from his true passion, all while dealing with an injury that may end his swim career. Tate provides him with that and becomes his provider and protector. He also knows that getting involved with him will not be surface-level; he will fall deep.
I loved the humiliation/praise kink. The sex was also hot, steamy and sensual. I love sexual awakening and first times, and this was perfect! The age gap/size difference is *chef kiss* Everything I love!
I came to adore and love these two. I would love to see a longer story one day! We also get a cameo from Victor and Alek!
Overall Wet was an excellent intense novella! I am even more excited about what is to come from Riley Nash in 2023
TWs for self harm
Prom King by Andi Jaxon 5/5
Prom King was amazing! This novella follows Roman and Jonah from
Bully King. I went in blind as I had never read Bully King, and honestly, I wish I did. This novella gives you a peak into their story and makes you want to pick up their book ASAP.
I love ultra-possessive/obsessive and very much unhealthy relationships. It's a guilty pleasure, and I honestly think Andi Jaxon does those stories well. My first read of theirs was
Hidden Scars, and I can't tell you how much I loved it.
I do not want to get too into the plot, but I love these boys. Their love for one another, how far and violent Roman is willing to get to protect sweet Jonah, how filthy, rough and dirty the sex is ...goodness. I eat that kinda stuff right up.
"Drunk Jonah is my favorite fuck toy," I say against his lips. "Drunk Jonah fucks like a whore, with no inhibitions. He's a dirty, dirty boy."
"If I lose you, I will die or go to prison. There's nothing else for me."
Overall this novella was a great peek into Roman and Jonah from Bully King. People who have not read it (like me) will want to read it, and people who have will get to revisit these boys!
Please check TWs this story has violence, homophobic slurs/homophobia, dub-con, and alcohol.
The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes 4/5
"What if they knew? Knew that Sebastian Harris, their golden boy, loves to fuck men just as much as he loves to be fucked by them. That he’s a goddamned animal in the sack. That he likes it rough. Loves to bite and manhandle. That his cock has left me walking funny many,many times after fucking me so hard."
We have the story of Sebastian and Axel. These two professional race car drivers appear to be enemies on the track but have a secret relationship. Due to the nature of the sport and the environment, they must keep parts of them hidden to uphold their public personas.
This was a sweet story of coming out and being your authentic self. While it is not dark like the other novellas I have read so far, the focus on the stigma of being gay and coming out in a sport in which the demographic tends to be conservative bible belt leaning is scary. However, it was endearing to see Sebastian get his chance to be himself and, in turn, provide the courage for Axel to come out and stand beside the man he loves.
I always enjoy Nicole Dykes's stories, and this novella was no different! Overall a sweeter addition to the Anti-Valentine Anthology.
TWs for homophobic slurs/Homophobia -
Prom King by Andi Jaxon: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Say My Name by Ashley James: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Briar & Bramble by Ashley Drewek: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
*By the Throat by Bailey Nicole: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Collided by Becca Steele: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Lies of Omission by C. Lymari: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Never Will I Ever by CE Ricci: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Not Your Sweetheart by Hayden Hall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Twisted Valentine by Isabel Lucero: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Forgive Me by J.R. Gray: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Sweet Wicked Thing by Jessie Walker: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mustang's Torment by Misty Walker: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wet by Riley Nash: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
*Hateful Love by T. Ashleigh: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
___
Sweet Wicked Thing by Jessie Walker: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
{arc review}
Holy cannoli 😅
A & V were foster brother's as children and separated after the gruesome night that upended their lives. Five years later fate brings the pair unexpectedly together again, and oof the drama, tension, the secrets between these two!!!!
This delicious little morsel of a novella has me dying for their full length book because this was not enough!
——
The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
{arc review}
Sebastian and Axel are rivals in the world of professional racing, but that’s just a cover that they keep up in public to hide their relationship. In a profession like theirs and the following it receives, their sexualities are a kiss of death, and the pair do everything they can to keep themselves safe.
I wouldn’t necessarily label The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy as a darker romance, it’s much lighter than the other story I’ve been able to read (so far), but does touch on stigma of being gay in a sport where that’s frowned upon, homophobia, and self identity. -
Alright I’ve read all I’m going to read. I enjoyed some of these but it’s really annoying how authors used this to promote future books by including the first few chapters in this anthology. The only reason this is getting 4 stars is bc of Riley Nash’s story 🤷���♀️
Briar & Bramble - Ashlyn Drewek ⭐️⭐️
😬 the stepbrothers trope just really is not for me. Also the miscommunications and drama just sheesh. And the sex scenes were awkward idk. I want the hour back I spent reading this lol.
Never Will I Ever - CE Ricci NO STARS
Alright I actually decided to not read this. I am veryyyyyyyy excited for Avery’s story but tbh I don’t trust Chelsea to finish it lol. She has a habit of not finishing series that she starts (enclave) and she has that other series all planned out so. I’ll read Avery‘a book so fast when it’s released because I love a redemption arc but I don’t read WIP’s. Which is essentially what this is. So… no stars.
Not Your Sweetheart - Hayden Hall ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yeah this was fun! Short and sweet enemies to lovers story with believable angst and super hit smut which doesn’t surprise me because it’s Hayden. I would have loved an extra chapter or two but otherwise it was good.
Twisted Valentine - Isabel Lucero ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well that was delightfully wicked. I’m not much of a dark romance girlie so I’ve hard Dysfunctional oh my TBR forever but this might’ve finally given me the push to go read it. Murder husbands ♥️♥️♥️
Sweet Wicked Thing - Jessie Walker NO STARS
The same goes for this that I said for Never Have I Ever. I do not read WIP’s. I accidentally did it for Hateful Love and it’s legit been bothering me for days lol. I need a conclusion and do not enjoy reading WIP’s. I’ll read this when it’s released. Although I really wish Jessie would stop writing anything but Mason and Jeremy 😀
Wet - Riley Nash ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Riley Nash knows how to write enemies to lovers, legit. When he publishes something with that trope, I know I’m going to be fed and this short story did not disappoint at all.
The hate was palpable from the first few pages. Oh my god the ~angst. But their banter and dynamic was so fun. Their first scene in the hotel room had me asking because who knew Tate had it in him. They’re just what each other need. I’m not fond of humiliation kinks but wowza this story did it right. It was fun and not too overwhelming. It was hot but also emotional because my heart consistently broke for Dare. The scene at the hospital :(
But I know him in the way I know my secrets and scars, the dark corners and long, silent days. When I close my eyes, I can’t imagine anything else but this, not even deep down where I kept the dreams I haven’t gotten to explore yet.
And of course loved the cameo of my baby Victor 🥹
Hateful Love - T. Ashleigh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hahaha I loved this. I got to the end and kept thinking “holy shit I need an entire novel for them” and then it says to be continued at the end 😭 hell yeah, we won! I loved all the vibes of this. The golden boy and the bad boy is a perfect trope that I’ll never tire of. I can’t wait to read the full length novel! I gotta know their HEA. -
3.5 ✰ rounded up
-
Overall 3.5 rounded up. Most of these stories I really enjoyed and I'm hoping the ones that say they'll be further developed actually will be because there were so many cliffhangers/unresolved stories, but some of them were just completely off and just not enjoyable at all for me.
**Prom King - Andi Jaxon (2)
I wasn't overly keen on this relationship in Bully King, but now I really dislike Roman and just feel really bad for Jonah, he deserves better.
**Say My Name - Ashley James (2)
Mateo just gave me the serious ICK which really put me off
**Briar & Bramble - Ashlyn Drewek (3.5)
Cute. Always like to read about stepbrothers!
**By The Throat - Bailey Nicole (3)
I still really like Rome and Devin. I think a full book of them would be a bit much, so I actually prefer the two shorts instead.
**Collided - Becca Steele (4)
I. Want. More! Again, I just love stepbrothers 😂
**Like You Hate Me - Bethany Winters (4)
Didn't want this to end, I hope there's definitely more to come because I really want to see what happens. This felt like definite enemies which I love.
**Lies Of Omission - C Lymari (1)
Never read this author before, can't say I'll be reading again. This made zero sense, the timeline was all over the place. One minute they're in high school then they're in their mid 20s... Just nothing in this made any sense at all and it was frustrating not intriguing.
**Never Will I Ever - CE Ricci (5)
Need more Kavery in my life, like yesterday! Also I'm never going to complain at little mentions of Keene & Pen 🥵
**Not Your Sweetheart - Hayden Hall (3.5)
Cute but I wished it were a little longer so there was a bit more build up before the enemy part was done.
**Twisted Valentine - Isabel Lucero (5)
My favourite dark and twisted couple. Kas and Quin are just so extra and I'm completely here for it, would definitely read more!
**Forgive Me - JR Gray (2)
Ermm..... I'm not religious in the slightest so the whole church stuff was kinda lost on me. I didn't really get what was happening and they talked like they were well into their golden years when I'm pretty sure they're supposed to be roughly my age (35ish??) Just weird all round.
**Sweet Wicked Thing - Jessie Walker (4.5)
I really enjoyed this. Can't wait for it to become a full story and for Vale to be unleashed!
**Mustang's Torment - Misty Walker (3.5)
There wasn't much depth but this was entertaining and had a strong Jax Teller feel which is never a bad thing 😂
**The Race Between The Pretty Boy & The Bad Boy - Nicole Dykes (4.5)
I wanted more of Sebastian and Axel, there aren't enough race driver stories!
**Wet - Riley Nash (4.5)
Damaged souls are my catnip. Loved this, but again I just wanted more! Loved the little Victor cameo too.
**Hateful Love - T. Ashleigh (4)
I feel like a broken record but I really want more! This was really intriguing and I want to know what happens next. Cliffhangers drive me nuts 😂 -
MM Romances
Enemies To Lovers/Rivals
4 Stars ⭐️
This is one of the better anthologies I’ve read because of the authors featured and I loved catching up with my favorite characters from previous books. None of the stories of previous couples spoiled anything if you haven’t read their actual books yet but I liked having some full short stories intertwined with the short previews of books releasing soon. Anthologies are a lot like watching movie trailers because it’s a sampling of an author’s work and it introduces me to authors I may have never considered before. While I wait for the book I sampled to be released I can start reading those author’s backlists and I’ve found lots of great books that way over the years.
Not every story in this anthology was a winner though because it made me realize for the 47746th time just how much I dislike Ashley James’ writing style and while I loved Rome and Dev’s book “His Revelry”, I absolutely hated their story in here because it had sharing. I don’t mind sharing in some stories but it made no sense to them as a couple because they are so possessive of each other and I just wish I had skipped over it but like the masochist I am, I read it. 😭😭
I really adored Wet by Riley Nash and am now excited to read his backlist because I keep meaning to pick up his books but keep forgetting. I LOVED “Like You Hate Me” by Bethany Winters and cannot wait for that twisted book to come out. Her book “Reckless at Westbrook High” is still one of my guiltiest pleasures and favorite books. I can’t believe I still haven’t read an Ashlyn Drewek book and need to remedy that immediately. My biggest surprise however was loving Nicole Dykes story, “The Race Between The Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy” because I always have issues with her stories. Maybe I just need to stick to her short stories 🤷🏻♀️
Anyway, I enjoyed this and am happy I bought it. 💗 -
Time of death: 17%. This just wasn’t for me. I read a couple of the stories, and then I started skimming after that. I guess I’m just not that much into dark romances. Idk. Oh and also it seems like a lot of the stories were just intros into full length novels, so there wasn’t much of an ending, which made me quite upset.
I did give 5 stars to “Briar & Bramble” and “The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy” -
Jessie Walker’s “Sweet Wicked Thing” - 5 stars
Swoon /5 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Angst /5 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
Steam /5 ♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️
Plot /5 🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐
LOLs /5 🤭🤭🤭
I’m a huge fan of Jessie Walker, one of the most exciting debut authors of 2023, even though I’m not a huge fan of anthologies. I was fascinated by the premise of the “Anti-Valentine” theme, so here I am. And let me tell you, Jessie completely nailed the brief with Aston & Vale. This is kickass, impactful writing that will leave you conflicted. Thank God we know that this is just an introduction to Vale & Aston, and we’ll see them in a full-length book later in 2023, because I finished this just wanting MORE.
When I say this will leave you conflicted, I mean it. Right from the start, Aston polarises you. Written in dual first-person POV, it starts with a prologue, when Aston & Vale were children, and it’s incredibly hard reading, and I recommend you consult the content warnings before you start. It won’t be for everyone, even though it’s a short chapter. But it sets the scene for how the rest of the novella goes - while you can feel sorrow & outrage for Aston, you can simultaneously feel shocked by his behaviour, be laughing at his hilarious inner monologue, while still rooting for him to find happiness. This is a book of contrasts that you don’t just mindlessly consume. It makes you stop & think as you read, then find yourself contemplating it long after you’ve finished.
In 8 chapters, you see huge character development in Aston, but there’s an equally fascinating character arc for Vale, an unravelling of his perfect jock image to a darker, dirtier person who’s more Aston’s equal. And there’s a s3x scene between them which is SUPER steamy , rough & kinky, with impact & breath play as well as low level D/S vibes. Easily the hottest scene Jessie has ever written! The story ends on a cliffhanger, making you desperate for more. So much more. The end of the year and the continuation of Vale & Aston’s story can’t come soon enough. I NEED more of these bad boys.
Check out my reviews and MM content on Instagram, Facebook & Bookbub, all under the same name! I gratefully received an advance copy and this is my honest review. -
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
I received an ARC of 5 stories from this book and will review them as I read them, and will keep my reviews vague as not to spoil the stories!
Sweet Wicked Thing - Jessie Walker
"I don't know if I wanna bleed for him as much as I want him to bleed for me, but I do know whatever happens between us is going to be explosive."
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
To say this preview into a future novel was dark is the understatement of the year! It was filthy and crazy and downright HOT and left me needing so much more. Ashton and Vale have been separated for years now, due to an incident that changed everything, and what happens next, well, you'll have to read it and find out!! I am chomping at the bit for the rest of the novel, I need more and I need it yesterday!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Possessive MC
❣️ Ex-Foster Brothers
❣️ Dark AF
❣️ Bad Boy/Jock
❣️ Morally Gray MC
Hateful Love - T. Ashleigh
"He's so fucking embedded in my brain it's impossible to escape him, no matter how hard I try."
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 2/5 🌶️🌶️
Everything that T. Ashleigh writes, I will read, and this preview into an upcoming novel was *chefs kiss* and such a tease! Blaine and Silas are rivals who simply despise each other, until one night, everything changes. Opposite sides of the tracks is definitely a favourite of mine, and the scene in the woods? Two words, utter perfection! I cannot wait for more from these two!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ High School
❣️ Opposites Attract
❣️ Enemies to Lovers
❣️ Bi-Awakening
❣️ Opposite Sides of the Tracks
Wet - Riley Nash
"I know him in the way I know my secrets and scars, the dark corners and the long, silent days."
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Anyone who knows me, knows I am the biggest Riley Nash fan to ever grace this earth and when I got Wet on my kindle, I literally dropped everything I was doing for it, and of course it did not disappoint! This being a novella, was a lot shorter than Riley's other works, but no less amazing. The MCs, Darius and Tate, were the definition of enemies to lovers, feelings dialed to 11, and an absolutely perfect intensity that left me hungry for me. The spice was *perfection* and the humiliation/praise kink was delicious and couldn't have been for a better couple. The little cameo from Victor and Alek was the cherry on the top! Overall this was a spicy dark romance that satisfied all my wants in life!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Enemies to Lovers
❣️ Bi-Awakening
❣️ Age Gap
❣️ Forced Proximity
❣️ Humiliation/Praise Kink
Prom King - Andi Jaxon
"Roman King is an asshole, but he's mine."
Star Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 4/5 🌶️🌶��🌶️🌶️
If you want to completely understand this novella, I'd highly recommend checking out Bully King, as this follows the same couple, this time on their prom night. It was a great extra look into their dynamic and relationship, as I never could get enough in Bully King. If you love a good possessive MC and societal struggles, this read is for you!
Read if you like:
❣️ MM Romance
❣️ Opposites Attract
❣️ Spice Galore
❣️ Secret Hookups
❣️ Ultra Possessive
❣️ Enemies to Lovers
The Race Between The Pretty Boy and The Bad Boy - Nicole Dykes
"I can't love him the way he deserves."
Star Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was a full length novella about two racers who are rivals in public and lovers in private. Both are stuck in a situation where they have to hide their relationship and make the most of their time in secret, stealing moments here and there, but its never enough for them. Full of steam, pining and wondering if they'll ever get their happy ending, it was another great read from Nicole Dykes and a more lighthearted read from this anthology!
Read if you like:
❣️ MM Romance
❣️ Secret Hookups
❣️ Racecar Drivers
❣️ Rivals to Lovers
❣️ Hate to Love
❣️ Found Family -
Ok, here comes a lengthy review... Honestly though, I read this mostly at night right before bed, so never had the means to chalk in my thoughts, so some of the elements I loved while reading the stories, might be lost now while reviewing it. Sorry about that.
First up we have, Prom King by Andi Jaxon.⭐️.5
This was nothing but high school prom night, gone very very smutty. Tbvh, this story left me feeling uncomfortable and very confused for the most part. Be it the heavy homophoebic atmosphere or the way Roman treated Jonah. This story just didn't feel right and I've no intention of reading Bully King. Thank God for small mercies.
2nd was Ashley James with Say My Name ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
AND WOW. Ok. Wow. That's all I have to say. If you have read AJ before, you will know about the angst (too much of it, in my opinion), her characters are prone to suffering. Her writing wasn't exactly my style, up until this one. Say My Name was a hot, smutty, dirty little piece which had my eyes bugging out from the very moment the plot started. If you're looking for a hot stranger-not-so-stranger to boss you around, take you out on dates and show you exactly where you stood in your previous relationship, pick this up. I'm definitely looking forward to the full-length novel.
3rd, was Ashlyn Drewek with Briar and Bramble ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ashlyn was my favorite author of 2022 with Malum Discordiae. If any of you haven't read that, please don't be discouraged by how sweet and tame this story was and give Malum a try. Briar and Bramble was pretty much one of the sweetest stories in here, even with the step brother/forbidden relationship troupe going for it, leaving you hungry in more ways than one. Mid angst, fluffy, fun and with loads of food this makes for cozier read.
4th was By The Throat by Bailey Nicole. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bailey Nicole had previously written His Revelry and this was a companion novel to it. You definitely don't need to read His Revelry to understand By The Throat, but if you need more context or more of Rome and Devin, then His Revelry will have you covered. This was a down-right filthy read with Rome being Rome and pushing Devin until he snapped so hard, that he redefined the meaning of that word. Another thing which left me happily tingling was the sharing in this book, like YES! I'm usually not one for sharing or multiple partners, but the sharing here just added to the relationship Rome and Devin had going.
5th was Collided by Becca Steele. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Now this is a story I don't remember much of. I really loved the feeling of this book and how amazing their giving into each other felt, but nothing else stood out like that to me. Of course Cole was a soft asshole to Huxley, his brand new step brother, but as soon as Huxley needs him, he's there, taking care of him, feeding him strawberries and naming drinks after him. *sigh* love sweing these little pain in the asses falling in love with these major pain in the asses.
6th was Bethany Winters with Like You Hate Me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
AND LET ME TELL YOU THIS, I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK. I loved it. I loved it so much, despite the ML being an asshole with the biggest chip on his shoulder and the MC being a soft, party boy who is his own little disaster. Or was it because of this that i loved it? ;) Well, semantics. I literally cannot wait for this book to finally come out. The hurt/comfort troupe, emphasis on the hurt, the nobody other than me touches you, the you belong to me troupe had me fanning myself. Add a bratty bottom and enough hate and shared trauma to drown a ship and you Like You Hate Me. I sure know how to pick 'em.
7th was Lies of Omission by C. Lymari ⭐️
And let me tell you this, for most of this story, I was just tryna understand what was happening. Like who? Where? When? WHAT?! The story was okay but it needed better editing and definitely more revision.
8th was Never Will I Ever by C.E. Ricci. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I haven't read Don't You Dare. I had no idea who Avery is or what he did, but as soon as I realized he outed someone, I was pissed. I really wasn't in the forgiving mood until I realized why he did, what he did. And that sometimes, love can be out worst enemies. Cut to, Avery is now at a summer camp, trying to right his wrongs, looking for a fresh start, when the last guy he wants to see walks into the scene. Kaleb was everything Avery should hate, but can he? The starting of the story showed neither of them may be as strong as we think. And that no one is completely at fault. Ever. Except Umbridge. That pink bitch can burn in hell. High angst (hopefully), summer camp vibes, yearning, blue eyes and tanned legs for miles, I think Avery and Kaleb's story is gonna rock my world as soon as it comes out.
9th Not Your Sweetheart by Hayden Hall. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
You just know you'll be smiling a lot with Mr. Hall. Like there is no escaping that infectious smile that spreads over your face as soon as Hayden Hall starts his story. Caden and Beckett were the absolute best of their ice-hockey team, but unfortunately for Caden, all Beckett cared about for himself. Thankfully Beckett gets his very own redemption arch and OH BOY WHAT AN ARCH. That kiss and those lines are gonna stay ingrained in my mind for a while. Like, when I tell you, I had to put the book down to squeal into my pillow, I'm not even kidding. Cuz damn that boy know how to use his mouth in more ways that one. ;)
10th was Twisted Valentine by Isabel Lucero. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
If you haven't read about these two twisted, broken, serial killers before, do it right tf now! You'll find Quintin and Kaspian in Dysfunction being the depraved, broken, dysfunctional serial killer couple they are. This book was very nostalgic for me, though Quentin's lack of emotions does bother me from time to time, just like it bother Kaspian. Though if you ever smile at Quentin and he happens to smile back at you, start packing, cuz buddy, your days are numbered. ;)
11th was Forgive Me by JR Gray. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
😳. If you can't tell, I'm still tryna decide how I feel about this. This book pressed all my buttons (the good ones) and left me panting. Though the plot needed a little more clarification, the author plunges you into smut so vile, it leaves you reeling, gasping and holding on for bloody life. TW: if you're religious (Christian) be careful going in.
12th Sweet Wicked Thing by Jessie Walker. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I NEED THIS BOOK NOW!! I didn't wanna check the expected realese date, it was gonna break my heart, but my friend said it's sometime in 2024 and we're only in February of 2023. :(( I swear these authors think we readers have more patience than God sometimes. Like HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GO ON AFTER READING ABOUT HOW FLITHY AND BROKEN OF A CHARACTER ASTON IS?!? This book contained crazy vibes, absolutely crazy plot twists and even crazier characters. Like, I still have whiplash from the very first few lines of the very first chapter. I'm looking forward to this book with everything in me, cuz I know Jessie Walker will destroy my heart before she mends it with Aston and Vale.
13th was Mustang's Torment by Misty Walker. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And I'll be honest. Most of my biker club/biker gang info comes from reading Yakuza mangas :3. I really liked this story, though with the way Mustang was projected I kept thinking of him as a hot bear daddy with a big beard (NOT MY THING, but I have no problem if that does it for you) so everytime his jaw line was described or the tic in his jaw was talked about it took me a moment to catch up. A sweet billionaire falls for the man on the wrong side of the tracks story, but I wish the ending was something a little different? But over all, well done.
14th was The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes. ⭐️⭐️
Honestly, this story was the sweetest in this entire book. Seb and Axel, though having high angst scenes were both well written, but there was a little something missing in the story for me. I needed that spark to see why they were together or how well they functioned together, and even though by the end I could see that they'd be happy together (hence the 2 stars), I just couldn't see Alex and Seb initially falling or love or, infact, staying in love.
14th, Riley Nash with Wet ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
HOLY FUCK! This book was filthy in a way I was NOT expecting. Tate had me doing a 180 about his character from the first chapter to the last. Like, initially he was reeling from a break-up, trying to adjust to retirement from swimming next thing we know, he's leaving us all weak-kneed when he asks Darius to crawl to him on his knees because he was being too wild to be allowed on the furniture in his deep growly voice, staring at Darius with those gold-green eyes. I almost passed out. My man is hot! That's it. That's the tweet! Op. I mean review. ;3
Lastly, it was Hateful Love by T. Ashleigh. ⭐️⭐️
And I kid you not, I was thinking of dnf-ing this with all the highschool and parent drama in here. The pace was slow to pick, but once it picked it, you could see why our main characters would hate each other. Despite all of that, it still felt like the book needed an extra something. Idk what exactly, but the story was definitely missing something for me. There's supposed to be a full length novel coming out soon with Silas and Blaine hopefully getting to redo their lives and get a HEA, but idk if I'll ever get around to reading that. -
Prom King - Andi Jaxon - 1.5 stars
This was a toxic story and had entirely too many negative themes. The relationship was unbalanced and while the sex was hot, it had no meaning in my opinion. I see that they have a full length novel but there’s no way I can read their story based off this novella. Unfortunately, just not a fan.
Say My Name - Ashley James - 4.5 stars
Travis thinks he has it all until he walks in on his partner with another man. Distraught, he picks up the pieces and starts over in a new apartment only to find out his neighbor is the man that he found with his ex. Like fate had a hand, Travis is locked out of his apartment during a snowstorm and Mateo is the only one that can offer assistance. Walking over the threshold into Mateo’s apartment sets a chain of events in motion that will change Travis’ life forever. Travis is hesitant about what is brewing but Mateo is all in.“Oh, baby, it’s cute that you think you’ll be able to walk away from me once we’re through.” Bringing our bodies flush again, he nips along my jaw before he continues. “I’ll be your worst goddamn nightmare, your new drug of choice, cariño.”
Mateo is possessive and kinky as hell and the enemies-to-lovers is done incredibly well. Travis is such a good fit for Mateo and they could be even more explosive if Travis would get out of his own head. The story and the steam in here was 🥵🥵. This ends on a mild cliffhanger and I hope Ashley will expand their story to a HEA.
Briar & Bramble - Ashlyn Drewek - 3 stars
Alex and Aaron have some unresolved issues and misunderstandings between them from years ago. They used to be stepbrothers and they both knew there was an attraction there. Years later they aren’t stepbrothers anymore and when Aaron relies on Alex for last minute florals for a wedding, truths come out and everything changes.“After a string of bad luck and miscommunication, I was happy Fate got their shit together and made sure our lives intersected once more.”
This was pretty good with some good steam. I kind of felt like their story needed to be longer for all the miscommunication they had to wade through. But overall, I enjoyed it.
By The Throat - Bailey Nicole - Did Not Read - No Rating
MM/MMM with triggers/kinks involved that aren’t really my cuppa.
Collided - Becca Steele - 4 - 4.5 stars
An LSU series prequel. Cole’s mother marries Huxley’s dad and as you can imagine, neither are thrilled for the change in pace. But you know what they say about love and hate!“I wouldn’t have guessed that. What’s your type, Cole?”
His lips touched my ear again, his breath hot on my skin. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
Becca does enemies-to-lovers well and this was no exception. I liked both Cole and Huxley and their chemistry and sexual tension was on point. Hux was such an asshole at first but it worked. Cole was just a good guy with a good heart. When they did come together, it was so hot. Collided ends on a mild cliffhanger with their full length story coming soon.
Like You Hate Me - Bethany Winters - 2.5 - 3 stars
Xavi hates himself and has a lot of guilt for Katy’s death. Nate hates Xavi and blames him. When they’re thrown together, there’s just a LOT of real hate and emotion. This was heavy and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. It ends on a cliffhanger as well.
Lies of Omission - C. Lymari - 3.5 - 4 stars
Sal and Theo. What did I just read? I have no idea. But I liked it. Cliffhanger ending!“Humans were like chess pieces. Everyone had a role to play and a different role depending on the person they were playing with.”
Never Will I Ever - CE Ricci - Did Not Read - No Rating
Not interested right now because the completion of their story seems far off.
Not Your Sweetheart - Hayden Hall - 3 - 3.5 stars
Caden and Beckett are teammates and are enemies off the field. Realizing that they need to get their shit together so they don’t sit the bench for the rest of the season, they agree to try a friendship. Spending time together and playing nice seems like the end of the world for these two hockey hunks. Or is it?“I’d tried and failed, within the same breath, to play hard to get, when it was obvious I was already his.”
This was surprisingly sweet with the right amount of naughty. I wish it had been longer so there could have been more character and relationship development. But overall a good story.
Twisted Valentine - Isabel Lucero - 4.5 -4.75 stars
This was toxic AF but if you’ve read Dysfunctional then you know Kaspian and Quin have their own twisted brand of love rooted in obsession and possession. Love these two psychos. Twisted Valentine was hot and I was excited for a glimpse into their life.“You are the sum of all my favorite things. You’re everything I desire rolled into one. Now come in my mouth and let me taste just how fucking twisted you are.”
Kaspian and Quinn’s lives have gotten a little stagnant since moving and changing their identities and their bloodlust is growing. This Valentine season, blood will be spilled.“We taste so good together,” he says in a husky tone. “Like sin and chaos.”
So good. These two are batshit crazy but completely addictive.
Forgive Me - J.R. Gray - Did Not Read - No Rating
Not entirely interested in reading this story right now🤷🏻♀️.
Sweet Wicked Thing - Jessie Walker - 3.5 stars
Aston and Vale have been apart for awhile now due to an event in their lives. This was quite the crazy and emotional story and the heat level was explosive. There are so many questions yet to be resolved.“The night I saved his life.
The night I stole his future.
The night I damned us to a lie.
This is what you get for poking first, Sugar”
Mustang’s Torment - Misty Walker - 4 stars
Mustang (Mike) has had it rough and has made something of himself. Working in a garage and part of the Sons of Erebus MC, life is good. Until the guy that tormented him in high school (Jenson) shows up one day at the garage. These two are complete opposites but you know what they say about those. Jenson and Mustang find they have chemistry that goes beyond just hating each other.“I’ve never wanted anyone to belong to me before.” Still stark naked, I throw my hands to the side. “But I want you. You in my bed, you on the back of my bike, and you by my side.”
He pushes off the bed and stands in front of me. “Then that’s where I’ll be.”
This was a sweeter enemies-to-lovers romance than the rest of the stories in here and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to more books in the Sons of Erebus series. Complete with a HEA and epilogue.
The Race Between The Pretty Boy and The Bad Boy - Nicole Dykes - 4 stars
Sebastian and Axel are race car drivers and always battling for the win. Sebastian is the pretty boy and Axel is the edgy bad boy. Two sides of one coin but a manufactured rivalry and secret stolen moments between the two of them is starting to eat at them.”What if they knew? Knew that Sebastian Harris, their golden boy, loved to fuck men just as much as he loved to be fucked by them. That he’s a goddamned animal in the sack. That he likes it rough. Loves to bite and manhandle. That his cock has left me walking funny many, many times after fucking me so hard.”
What happens when coming out gets complicated?
This was hot. Super hot. Entirely too short. I wanted more. HEA with an epilogue.
Wet - Riley Nash - 3 stars
Tate and Dare - athletes with a bone to pick with each other. This story confused me a little🤷🏻♀️.
Hateful Love - T. Ashleigh - 3.5 stars
Blaine and Silas are from different worlds but find common ground through an unexpected attraction.”Who fucks their enemy…and likes it.”
This ends on a cliffhanger and I’m intrigued to see how their story unfolds. -
Will add each book as I go. Not sure how much can be added on here each time but I’ll keep going till I can’t!!
🖤Jessie walker - Sweet Wicked Thing
Wow, what a start to a book, this anthology is going to to be full of amazing story’s.
This is the first few chapters of this novel, and what a head fuck they are!!!
Now when it says this story is DARK and has triggers, either heed the notice, or go read them so you know what your getting into.
If I see people moaning about it ima let loose on you……
THIS STORY IS DARK, THIS STORY IS FUCKING AMAZING, THIS IS ASTON & VALE. ITS TO BE CONTINUED…………..
This is all your getting from me as a review for now…………
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Book content so far-
🖤Dark romance
🖤Possessive MC
🖤Grumpy/Sunshine twist
🖤Ex foster brothers
🖤Dirty talk
🖤Morally grey
🖤Small town prep school
🖤Fu*ked up past
🖤Blood
🖤Abuse
🖤Juvie
🖤Psychotic???
💙T.Ashleigh - Hateful Love
Damm it T!!! What a way to end the story!! Little Miss Edger 😂
Again there are trigger warnings for this book, so read them if your sensitive to them.
I am loving this bully story and I can’t wait for the full book later in the year!!
But these boys 🥵🥵🥵 rich and poor, jock and bad boy, yes please and thank you!!
Not giving anything else away!!!
Blaine and Silas, to be continued……….
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5 so far to be adjusted accordingly….
Book contents-
💙Enemies to lovers
💙Bi awakening
💙Opposites attract
💙Jock & Bad boy
💙Underage drinking
💙Underage drug mentions
💙Gang affiliations
💙Bullying
💙Distribution of drugs
⭐️Andi Jaxon - Prom king
Ahh I loved this extra story of Prom night from Jonah and Roman. I love these boys so much, they had a proper rough time with everything they had to put up with.
Their chemistry in the bedroom is amazing, and outside of it I felt for them so much, this little short brings back all the feels for them. 🥰
Although you could just read this as a short story, you won’t really understand these two unless you read their book which is Bully King and it’s available now, go read it!!!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
In this story the content is-
⭐️Secret boyfriends
⭐️Preachers son
⭐️Bully’s
⭐️Prom night
⭐️Drinking
⭐️Fighting
⭐️Pining
⭐️Allllll the spice
💧Riley Nash - Wet
Loved Tate and Darius, we all need the full version of their story!!
Riley knows how to pull on your heart strings.
Two men, never met, but hate each other because online trolling is a thing!!!
I feel these two have so much spice to come that is connected to deep emotions, poor Darius I just wanna snuggle with him and love on him 😩
These two 🫶🏻
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book content-
💧Swimmers
💧Rivals
💧Enemies to lovers
💧Emotions
💧Age gap
💧Steam
💧Bossy
💧Bi awakening
💧Forced proximity
🏎️Nicole Dykes - Race between the pretty boy and the bad boy.
Loved this story, even though it was short it was full of emotions and spicy times and ended perfectly.
These two had so much chemistry and I was not expecting the turn of events!! It took me by surprise but I’m super happy the way it went!!!
I loved hearing about Ryan and Grady, I miss them 🥲 and of course the ball buster that is Jenny!!!
A great story in the collection.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book content-
🏎️Race car drivers
🏎️Enemies to lovers
🏎️Spicy times
🏎️Coming out
🏎️Found family
🖤J.R Grey - Forgive Me
WOW I just don’t have the words.
This short was absolutely amazing.
I couldn’t sleep last night because I couldn’t get it off my mind.
I read it in my head with deep quiet voices, it’s got me in a head spin today.
Dam it I need to know the rest of this godforsaken book!!
It was pure dark joy to read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🖤Dark very dark
🖤Priest
🖤Irish brute
🖤Possession
🩸Bethany Winters - Like you hate me
Wow!! I’m sooooo glad that this going to be a full book!! These short story’s are killing it!!!
I’m on the edge of my chair with this one!
It’s heartbreakingly brutal watching these boys suffer.
Devastating what they are going through, you feel their pain and hate and longing, and I know this book is gonna break my heart.
On a side note I know not everyone likes TW and that’s cool, but I’m glad for them this time, I only have one and it’s close to my heart and it’s in this book so I’m glad I was prepared.
I’m ready for the full book of these broken boys.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book content so far -
🩸Mental health
🩸Violence
🩸Stalking
🩸Enemies to lovers
🩸College
🩸Possessive
🩸Hate sex
🩸Broken boys
🖤J.R Gray - Forgive Me
WOW I just don’t have the words.
This short was absolutely amazing.
I couldn’t sleep last night because I couldn’t get it off my mind.
I read it in my head with deep quiet voices, it’s got me in a head spin today.
Dam it I need to know the rest of this godforsaken book!!
It was pure dark joy to read.
Stunning
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🖤Dark very dark
🖤Priest
🖤Irish brute
🖤Possession
-
Wet by Riley Nash - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was the only reason I bought the book and it did not disappoint. It feels like a HFN and I believe it is getting extended in the future. This fits in the rivals to something category, and ends quite sweetly.
Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
So Nate blames Xavi for his little sister overdosing and hates him, Xavi is very sad about his best friend dying and hates himself, and they both secretly wanna fuck. There is a lot of punches thrown, and mean things said. This feels like the first few chapters of a book that just ends before there is any conclusion, but it does say to be continued so I guess it’s more like a teaser for a future full book. -
-Prom King by Andi Jaxon
-Say My Name by Ashley James
-Briar & Bramble by Ashlyn Drewek
-By The Throat by Bailey Nicole
-Collided by Becca Steele
☆☆☆☆ (20.2.23)
-Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters
☆☆☆☆☆ (17.2.23)
-Lies of Omission by C. Lymari
-Never Will I Ever by CE Ricci
-Not Your Sweetheart by Hayden Hall
-Twisted Valentine by Isabel Lucero
-Forgive Me by J.R. Gray
-Sweet Wicked Thing by Jessie Walker
☆☆☆☆☆ (16.2.23)
-Mustang's Torment by Misty Walker
-The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes
-Wet by Riley Nash
-Hateful Love by T. Ashleigh -
I have so far only read one of the works. As I read, I will post updates for the other stories in the anthology and then average the ratings together.
Hateful Love by T. Ashleigh: 4⭐️
I need more Silas and Blaine. Desperately. I love the angsty enemy lovers (not to be confused with enemies-to-lovers) trope. Hate sex is just hot af, top tier, and not much can beat it. And T. Ashleigh writes it SO WELL.
I can count on enjoying every book she publishes. Plus, she does M/M respectfully and beautifully. There’s no fetishizing gay men/sex. Sigh. Just have to wait until late this year for a continuation/full length novel for these two guys. 😮💨 -
I will update as I read more
By The Throat by Bailey Nicole
Devin and Rome are my favorite couple from the author. Have you read His Revelry? If you didn’t, it’s okay. Technically it’s standalone.
Rome is the perfect psycho. Unhinged and ready to strike that match. Devin is the one person he loves and gives him what he needs and wants.
Devin is charming and charismatic. But don’t let that fool you; he has a whole other side that only Rome sees.
The Throat is a short story that is scorching hot—five stars alone on spice. My only complaint is it left me wanting more. However, it’s a good feeling. I hope to read more of them in future books. -
This was a fantastic collection of Anti-Valentine bully, enemies to lovers, and crazy stories! They are all so different and I love having so many great stories from amazing authors all in one place! Reviews are in order as they appear in the anthology.
Overall Rating - 4.28 ⭐️
5 ⭐️ - 7 stories
4.5 ⭐️ - 6 stories
3.5 ⭐️ - 1 story
3 ⭐️ - 1 story
DNF - 1 story
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Prom King by Andi Jaxon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This is a Bully King short story. I absolutely recommend reading Bully King before this short story.
There was a lot that happened in this short story. It all takes place in one night at Roman and Jonah’s prom. There was a lot of action, lots of steam and even a little bit of romance! I loved the relationship between these two. Roman was so protective of Jonah and I was all here for it! I really did enjoy this short story and it has made me really want to read Bully King to know their full story. I was a little lost at times when I felt I should know who the side characters were and found there might have been some spoilers when I do read Bully King so that’s why I recommend reading that one first.
*******************************************************
Say My Name by Ashley James
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is the beginning chapters of a future release by this author.
This story was 🔥🔥🔥🔥!!! Wow! I loved everything about Travis and Mateo! I absolutely can’t wait for the rest of their story to see how their relationship develops! I can only imagine it’s going to be on fire! This is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity story. It does start off getting to know the one MC so the first couple chapters are a little slow but then Bam!! If you’ve loved other stories by this author you will not be disappointed with this one!
This is another story I’ve read with amazing formatting on the text messages! I’m going to keep commenting on this every time I see it in hopes all authors will adopt this formatting!!
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Briar & Bramble by Ashlyn Drewek
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This a complete, short story.
This is an enemies to lover, ex-stepbrothers, grumpy/sunshine short story. This is the first story I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. Aaron and Alex are estranged ex-stepbrothers who finally have reason to speak to one another again which ignites their love and passion for each other after 10 years being apart. I loved how these two were together and their chemistry was spot on. It’s always hard with shorter stories as I want so much more of a story but it was a great, quick read. I look forward to reading other stories by this author in the future!
*******************************************************
By The Throat by Bailey Nicole
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This is a His Revelry companion short story.
Rome and Dev are from His Revelry which I have not read. This is the first story I’ve read by this author. Maybe they were enemies to lovers in His Revelry but I’m not quite sure. I would recommend reading that first if you were interested in this story. The whole short story is one night at a party with Rome baiting Dev to lose control on him in the bedroom. There is lots of degradation and sharing in this short story so I would skip it if that’s not your thing. I really enjoyed the baiting and lead up to the sexy scene. The tension was absolutely amazing, however, I’m just not a huge fan of degradation and sharing so it fell a little short for me.
*******************************************************
Collided by Becca Steele
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This story is the beginning chapters of a future release by this author. It is also a prequel to the LSU series.
Cole and Huxley’s story is an enemies to lovers stepbrother romance. You don’t need to read the books in the LSU series before this as it’s a prequel however I absolutely suggest reading them because they are amazing books! I loved Cole and Huxley together and it was so much fun to see them slowly change their feelings from hated attraction to interest. I can’t wait to read the rest of their story!
This is another story I’ve read with amazing formatting for the text messages! I’m going to keep commenting on this every time I see it in hopes all authors will adopt this formatting!!
*******************************************************
Like You Hate Me by Bethany Winters
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is the beginning chapters of a future release by this author.
This is the first story I have read by this author and I think that is a huge mistake on my part because I absolutely loved this story and I want to read everything this author has written now! This is an enemies to lovers, best friends brother, bully romance with some darker themes. The tension and hatred/attraction between Nate and Xavi is intense and they kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I was a little confused with the prologue but it made more sense after reading all the chapters. I absolutely cannot wait for the rest of their story and will be reading it as soon as it’s available.
This is another story I’ve read with amazing formatting for the text messages! I’m going to keep commenting on this every time I see it in hopes all authors will adopt this formatting!!
*******************************************************
Lies of Omission by C Lymari
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is the beginning chapters of a future release by this author.
This is the first story I have read by this author and I absolutely loved it! Theodore and Sal really intrigued me and I can’t wait to read the rest of their enemies to lovers story. So much happened in the few chapters included and it sounds like it’s going to be a wild ride. It was a little confusing as the chapters go back and forth in time but once I finished it all made sense. From what I see this author mainly writes MF books but from what I’ve read of this story the author writes an awesome MM book!
*******************************************************
Never Will I Ever by CE Ricci
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is the beginning chapters of a future release by this author. To understand everything fully it’s recommended to read Don’t You Dare before this.
I may be a little biased on reviewing this book because Don’t You Dare was my very first MM book which made me fall in love with MM romance and I haven’t looked back since. If you’ve read that book you will be familiar with Avery who was not the nicest character in Don’t You Dare. This is his redemption story and I am all for it!! This is a teammates to enemies to lovers romance between Avery and Kaleb and the chemistry between these two is awesome! I cannot wait for their full story! Kaleb is an amazing, smart, levelheaded character that I loved from the beginning. Avery definitely started to grow on me the more I read and I loved seeing the real him start to come out in his interactions with a side character in this story. If you have read and enjoyed any other books by this author I absolutely recommend this one!
*******************************************************
Not Your Sweetheart by Hayden Hall
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I think this is just a short story unrelated to other stories but was not able to confirm.
For some reason I’ve never really fully enjoyed Hayden Hall’s stories. There’s been one I absolutely loved and the rest have all been 3 stars. I enjoyed them but not overly so. This short story was the same. It’s an enemies to lovers sports romance short story. It was a lot of I hate you, let’s kiss, I hate you, let’s have sex, now I like you. Wasn’t a whole lot of depth to it for me. But it was a fun short story with some sports action and a sexy scene so if you enjoy this authors writing then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this story as well!
*******************************************************
Twisted Valentine by Isabel Lucero
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a Dysfunctional companion short story.
Wow! Pay attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this story. If you make it past that page you are in for a wild ride! I have not read Dysfunctional (this is actually my first story by this author) and I did not find I missed anything by not having read it. This is a completely messed up story of how Kas and Quin (Ezra) who are two serial killers in a relationship spend their Valentine’s Day. It was amazing. I don’t know how I feel that I found this to be a super romantic love story between two messed up people who in the most psychotic way possible just want to make Valentine’s Day the best for their partner. I absolutely loved the way that Quin described why Kas was a nightmare. If you are good with psychotic characters, blood play and murder absolutely check out this story!
*******************************************************
Forgive Me by J.R. Gray
DNF
I believe this is a standalone but I am not sure. I had to stop reading it. One of the characters is a priest and I found I did not like that trope. Only read the first two chapters and did not enjoy it at all.
*******************************************************
Sweet Wicked Thing by Jessie Walker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is the beginning chapters of a future release by this author.
Wow!!! You know when an author has two paragraphs on her website dedicated to the trigger warnings that it’s going to be dark!! Please heed the trigger warnings! However, if you make it past those and read this…holy crap you are in for a story of a lifetime! These boys took my heart and they won’t give it back! Can I wrap Aston and Vale in a blanket and keep them forever? Or shrink them down to keep them in my pocket? I absolutely cannot wait for their full-length story to be released. I absolutely need more of them! Aston’s chapters are rough to get through but his character is amazing! Vale’s chapters seem to mellow out the story a bit until the end. I loved the push and pull between them!
Note: I do recommend reading the prologue again after reading the first few chapters. I found I missed what was happening for parts of it and it was much more clear when I reread.
*******************************************************
Mustang’s Torment by Misty Walker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This is a Sons of Erebus series prequel which is starting off a new upcoming series by this author.
This is the first story I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed their writing. This is an enemies to lovers, motorcycle club member/billionaire, ex-bully short story. I loved the relationship that develops between Mustang (Mike) and Jensen. It might have been a tad unrealistic but I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying it as these two had amazing chemistry together. I’m so happy they ended up with a HEA that actually seemed to work for them. Loved the little bit of crazy and possessiveness that was peeking into their relationship! I would absolutely love to continue the series but I’m unsure whether it will be MM or MF and that will determine if I read it or not.
*******************************************************
The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This a complete, short story.
This is the first story I’ve read from this antho that didn’t feature high school students so it was a great change of pace! We meet Sebastian and Axel, two competing race car drivers! This is also the first story I’ve read about racers so that was fun too! Theirs was a story of enemies to the world and lovers behind closed doors! Since this was a complete story I didn’t quite feel their chemistry at the beginning but loved them together by the end! I also loved all the other Nicole Dykes characters that we got to see in this short. You don’t need to have read any other books by this author to understand what’s happening.
*******************************************************
Wet by Riley Nash
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I am not sure whether this is a full novella or if the story will be developed into a full-length novel later.
There was a lot going on in this story between Darius and Tate. This is an enemies to lovers, age gap, bi-awakening, humiliation kink short story. I actually really enjoyed the dynamic between these two. Usually I’m not a fan of humiliation kink but in this story I feel like it was done well and properly for the situation. It wasn’t degrading just exactly what Darius needed. It was awesome to have a cameo from Victor from Hold Me Under in the story. This story does end on a HFN but I absolutely want more from these two! There’s so much more story to be told!
*******************************************************
Hateful Love by T. Ashleigh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is the beginning chapters of a future release by this author.
If you’ve read and loved The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton this is absolutely a story for you!! Blaine and Silas’ story starts here as an enemies-to-lovers, bi-awakening, opposite side of the tracks kind of story! There is so much more to Blaine than just being a jock and Silas… ah Silas I just loved him! A major rivalry and a huge explosive WTF moment between these two, left me wanting more! I cannot wait to read their full-length story as I need to know what happens between them!
******************************************************* -
average rating: 3.4
this anthology did have a couple of bangers, but i was very frustrated that a LOT of them were just the first few chapters of a full length novel and did not work very well as standalones. i don't mind a couple of spin-offs here and there, but every story in an anthology should 200% work as a standalone unless it's made VERY clear otherwise.
overall, i had fun, but this was kind of disappointing.
two things that are good: i discovered some new-to-me authors, and all the proceeds of this anthology go to two LGBTQ+ support charities! unfortunately this was a limited edition and i don't think you can buy it anymore, which is... annoying? but also it's not, like, that good so just donate directly to The Trevor Project and/or MindOut instead lol
individual ratings & mini-reviews (if i think of something to say about them, lmao, there's a bunch of them okay cut me some slack):
prom king - andi jaxon: 2.5 stars
~ this is an epilogue to bully king, and it would definitely have worked better if i'd read that one first.
say my name - ashley james: 4 stars
~ this one was an unusual and hot-as-hell premise - the MC ends up being next-door neighbours to the guy his long-term bf cheated on him with after he dumps his ass and moves out. the neighbour thought the long-term bf was single, so he's not an arsehole in that regard, but he is in others... in a good way!
briar and bramble - ashlyn drewick: 1.5 stars
~ the main plot of this one hinges on a misunderstanding and one of the characters being a bratty pissbaby for years and refusing to communicate, which is... one of my least favourite tropes of all time.
by the throat - bailey nicole: 5 stars
~ this was also an epilogue, but it worked really, really well and i'm definitely checking out the author's other works!
collided - becca steele: 5 stars
~ this was the first few chapters of an upcoming novel, but it did kind of work as a standalone, and it was SO fucking good that i'm not even mad about it (well, only a tiny bit mad.)
like you hate me - bethany winters: 3 stars
lies of omission - c. lymari: 2 stars
never will i ever- c.e. ricci: n/a
~ not read because author states you should probably read another book she’s written previously, and that this is the beginning of a full length novel and not a self contained story. thanks for letting me know in the foreword but also fuck that noise
not your sweetheart - hayden hall: 2.5 stars
twisted valentine - isabel lucero: n/a
~ skipped again because it’s a spin-off of a book that’s already on my tbr and i don’t want any potential spoilers lmao
forgive me - j.r. gray: 5 stars
~ PRIESTS. that is all.
sweet wicked thing - jessie walker: 5 stars
mustang's torment - misty walker: 1.5 stars
~ this hit all of my pet peeves lmao. sex worker shaming, an incest scare that turns out not to be incest, a rich bitch with no redeeming qualities... like, what was the point of any of this? read k.a. merikan instead, damn
the race between the pretty boy and the bad boy - nicole dykes: 3.5 stars
wet - riley nash: 4 stars
hateful love - t. ashleigh - 3 stars -
Wet by Riley Nash: ♾️⭐️
For reals this had no right to be so good in such a short story.
We have Tate- the seasoned swimming veteran with one foot out the retirement door, who enjoys listening to NPR, and has been hurt in the past
And we have Darius- the new young teammate who has replaced Tate in his swimming event on the team, but is barely holding it together.
And of course with a brilliant cameo from Victor we get the perfect storm of forced proximity meets rivals to lovers, age gap bi-awakening, with a humiliation & hurt/comfort combo.
———
The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by Nicole Dykes: 4 ⭐️
This story had such Heated Rivalry vibes and I am here 👏 for 👏 it! Set in the world of racing (I assume nascar as it’s set in the US), we have the “pretty boy” Sebastian and the “bad boy” Axel, who have been pitted against each other by the personas created for them by their management teams and the media. For me the focus of this story was really on feeling empowered to be your true self, and the potential for love that opens up. I loved it! I would also LOVE a full length version in the hopes that we could see the “how it all began” part of their clandestine hookups!
———
Prom King by Andi Jaxon: 3⭐️
So I went into this having zero clue what it would be about or that it connects to Andi’s book Bully King. Though still a full story on its own, I do kind of wish I’d read Bully King first just because I love being able to revisit characters after their main books when you have an established connection to them. So if you read and loved Bully King, I think you’ll be very happy to see Roman and Jonah.
———
Sweet Wicked Things by Jessie Walker: 4⭐️
I really enjoyed this and can’t wait for the full book! As this was just a “peek inside” this upcoming story (first 8 chapters) there are still so many things we don’t know and I am super excited to see what is to come. We get grumpy/sunshine, jealous and possessive MC, and ex-foster brothers' forbidden dynamic. This was my first read from Jessie Walker, and you can bet I’ll be jumping in head first to their books asap! -
finally, after who knows how long, i finished with this anthology. phew it’s been some wild reads so here goes..
Overall average rating: 3 stars
Prom King by: Andi Jaxon
1 star
can someone please explain to me how this was even considered a story?.. from the very first chapter to the last one, the story felt so abrupt and as though the author just didn’t have any idea what to write about, so they wrote this. at first, i honestly thought the author just pulled these couple of chapters from an actual book and called it a story. i’m not impressed whatsoever with this story. also, i felt no connection between either of the main characters which certainly did not help.
Say My Name by: Ashley James
2.5 stars
for a short story, it honestly wasn’t that bad. i enjoyed the bit of drama that was there and the loads of steam that occured as well. i wasn’t expecting the mini plot twist which made this story somewhat more enjoyable than “Prom King”
Briar & Bramble by: Ashlyn Drewek
3.5 stars
finally, this is the first story that actually felt like a story out of the first two stories in this anthology thus far. I loved the enemies-to-lovers trope throughout this and I liked that despite the story only being around 7 chapters long, the author still managed to write a short story with an equal amount of plot and smut. Not surprised that Ashlyn wrote this because I’ve read one of her other stories and a couple others are currently on my TBR and from what I’ve read, her writing is so so good. All in all, I enjoyed this story and the unique florist x restaurant owner theme.
By your throat by: Bailey Nicole
4.5 stars
wow. just wow. i’ve read basically all books by Bailey Nicole up to this point including the Worthless Boys series and both standalones, including His Revelry which is where both characters in this story are introduced to me once again. Rome and Dev, one of the most hottest couples i’ve read and two men i will not be able to forget. this short story was purely smut and little to no plot but i have no complaints. the smut was so dirty, filthy yet hot all at the same time which actually brought me to the point of feeling like i need to go to church and just pray. best valentine short story that could have been made, especially when it comes to Rome and Dev. i didn’t realize how much i missed them.
Collided by: Becca Steele
3 stars
**Read the short story/first couple of chapters in the Anti-valentine anthology**
Wow, honestly for what the first couple of chapters are worth, I enjoyed this. There was a good balance between plot and smut which I always love in my books. Although the whole reason why Cole and Hux were “enemies” at first is pretty cliché and an overdone trope, nonetheless it was entertaining and I read through this pretty quickly. Can’t wait until their full story releases!
Like You Hate Me by: Bethany Winters
100 stars
“All the nights I watched him sleep, this is what I thought about. Pinning him down and taking what I want from him. Making him pay. Making him break. Fucking with his head and his heart and his body all at once. It’s what I crave most in the world. To see him fall apart, piece by piece until there’s nothing left of him.”
I love them. I love them. I love them. I just can’t stress it enough when I say I need the full version of their story now.
The angst, The emotions, The emotional plot and events, the steam, the degrading, the praise.. I can’t. I loved it all.
The text mentioned above may seem extremely concerning and crazy to people, but this story is exactly that.
I’m not kidding when I say I need MORE of Nate and Xavi’s story. The 15 chapters mentioned in the Anti-Valentine anthology is FAR from enough.
I need the full version of Nate and Xavi’s story more than I need oxygen, in fact more than life. I’ve seen many reviews about Bethany Winters and her books saying her writing is cringe or unbelievable, but in my view point, her writing is great and so far, I have loved all the books I’ve read by her - this one is no exception.
Praying for a VERY SOON and VERY FAST release of the full book🤞🏼🙏🏼
Lies of Omission by: C. Lymari
3 stars
**Read the short story/first couple of chapters of this story in the Anti-valentine anthology**
Not bad of a introduction to the characters and a good amount of information mentioned which lead readers wanting to read the full story of Theo and Sal.
Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the first couple chapters I got to read mainly because it felt like it was lacking something. I know, hard to say when the full story hasn’t been released, but I’m honestly not sure if I will be reading it. Also, there were some barely there typos at different points throughout the book but that doesn’t really affect my rating as much since the typos weren’t so bad to the point of no comprehension. However, I was hoping for that extra ‘push,’ so to say, to make me desperate for more of this story.
Nonetheless, as I said, it was a good introduction and I don’t find it impossible for me to read Theo and Sal’s full story as there were many questions unanswered and a couple time jumps that didn’t make much sense.
Never will I ever by: CE Ricci
3 stars
I never knew I needed an enemies to lovers camp councillor romance more than I do now. I can’t wait to read Avery and Kaleb’s full story because the tension and the angst is literally killing me.
Not your Sweetheart by: Hayden Hall
3 stars
honestly, i just didn’t feel the connection between the characters nor did i feel like the plot developed that much. i was iffy about the story since the beginning and just ended up not liking it once i finished. the writing was great and the steam at the end was mainly why i rated this story 3 stars, but i just felt like the plot was lacking as well as the characters connection / chemistry.
Twisted Valentine by: Isabel Lucero
4 stars
“Why do you consider me a nightmare?”
“Nightmares are classified as things that leave people shaken. They wake up with a rapid heartbeat and fear coursing through their veins. The disturbing themes frighten them. I always enjoyed my nightmares. I would wake up and smile, relishing the same symptoms others consider negative. My heart racing, adrenaline pumping, and memories of images that were typically my constant state of mind. They didn’t scare me, they gave me a thrill.” He grips my chin. “You are a nightmare in the best way. My heart races when you’re around. The things we do together make my adrenaline pump, filling me with an intoxication you can’t get from any drug on the planet. The dark imagery you’re capable of creating with a weapon and your hands gives me a thrill similar to when I plunge a knife into someone’s heart. You are a nightmare, Kaspian, but there’s nothing negative about that.”
oh…my god? i didn’t know i would enjoy this story as much as i did. if you know me, you know i love dark romances and this was certainly dark, but if you’re an actual psychopath like Quin, there’s romance but far from it’s usual type. I read this novella without reading their actual story on how they met so i’ll be sure to go back and read it as it has been on my tbr for the longest time. can’t wait!
Forgive Me by: J.R. Gray
4 stars
i certainly was not expecting a priest x killer romance and im so happy i had the opportunity to read this one. it was spicy, angsty and written in such a good manner which somehow makes the whole church and priest scenario feel so much more real. if i didn’t know better, i would have thought that this was based on a true story because Gray’s writing is just so real, raw, and emotional all at the same time.
Sweet Wicked Thing by: Jessie Walker
5 stars
i don’t think any of you understand just how utterly and completely obsessed I am with this story. i was only able to read the first 8 chapters of this story (due to the novella in the anti-valentine anthology) and i need the full novel more than i need the oxygen to breathe.
2024 cannot come fast enough.
Mustang’s Torment by: Misty Walker
2.5 stars
meh, the story was decent but nothing really stood out to me. the characters, the plot, the smut, it all felt kinda basic and not that memorable of a book. i feel like it had the opportunity to be a pretty good book but it just fell flat from the get-go.
The Race Between the Pretty Boy and the Bad Boy by: Nicole Dykes
1 star
you know it’s bad if i rate a book below 2 stars because i never do that. ever. i just felt no connection whatsoever, the entire story was so rushed as if the author was on a time limit of 2 hours to write it all and the plot was so boring, i’m shocked i managed to finish the story and stay awake. the only good thing about the story was the extremely short chapters which i love.. if the chapters didn’t end up being so short, i have a feeling i would not have been able to complete the story.
Wet by: Riley Nash
3.5 stars
the chemistry and connection (if you can even call it that) between the MMC’s were barely there and it felt like they both did an entire 360 from who we got to know them as in chapter 1 vs who we got to know them as in chapter 4 and on. when i say a complete 360, i mean it. the reason i am rating this short story 3.5 stars is because the degrading and smut was really hot.
Hateful Love by: T. Ashleigh
4 stars
if you know me, you know i love the bad boy x good boy trope and this story definitely delivered that. the full novel of Silas and Blaine’s story is gonna be so good. -
Some good, some bad!
Wrote down some quick thoughts after finishing each story so here ya go:
Andi Jaxon: DNF. Andi’s writing just isn’t for me. It’s a short story! Introducing SEVERAL characters all at the beginning is just chaos and so not pleasant to read!
Ashley James: Once again, DNF. It really got me when Travis said he didn’t want to be tied up and Mateo didn’t care. That’s so gross! Respect boundaries babes!
Ashlyn Drewek: 3.5 stars ig???? There were definitely some strong moments but it kind of went downhill toward the end for me. But Alex and Aaron were hot!
Bailey Nicole: HOT!!!!!!! HOT HOT HOT lmao wow
Becca Steele: DNF! Way too corny way too soon.
Bethany Winters: DNF!
C. Lymari: Skipped
CE Ricci: Oh, YES! Absolutely stoked for this. The tension between Avery and Kaleb was everythingggggg. Preorder is set for 2024 😭😭😭😭 (I know she’s trying to release like 4 books this year lmao I’m just playin)
Hayden Hall: Cute!! A solid 3 stars.
Isabel Lucero: Started but DNF’d because it’s just not my thing. Too gory?
J.R. Gray: HOT AS FUCK! Really really enjoyed this one. I want this as a full-length novel tbh.
Jessie Walker: I am IMPRESSED! This was simultaneously dark, funny, and sexy! I’m so excited it’s going to be a full length stand-alone!
Misty Walker: Skipped
Nicole Dykes: Skipped
Riley Nash: SEXY SEXY SEXY. Again with the full-length NEED. This was so good. Riley always has such a great way to creating such intense and lovely characters.
T Ashleigh: Skipped
At some point (lmao probably years?) I’ll go back to the skipped stories. -
COLLIDED BY BECCA STEELE
Becca Steele is becoming well known for her MM romances but the thing she excels at writing is enemies to lovers. Huxley and Cole are reluctant stepbrothers, in close proximity which leads to some combustible moments that I thought I’d have to grab a fan to cool down from. I need more from these boys asap!
LIES OF OMISSION BY C.LYMARI
C.Lymari has just dipped her toe into the MM pool for the first time proving she can write any thing she puts her hand too! Lies of Omission is the start of Theo and Sal’s story and C.lymari has left me DYING for more!
This is an M/M anthology with all ebook proceeds going to LGBTQ+ mental health organisations
