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ashley_webb13's reviews
117 reviews
Their Wicked Ways by Willow Dixon
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was actually a pretty good MMM. Poly romance is hit or miss for me. This story follows Jett, Wes, and Ez. Wes and Ez are in an established relationship and have been for nearly a decade. They’ve brought on a third several times but never had a repeat and never saw them again. Until Jett. Imagine your third being on the crew at your new job?
I did feel like the relationship dynamic was pretty equal up until towards the end and then there seemed to be not as much of Wes and Ezra, it was more Ezra and Jett. I would’ve liked to see more of them as a triad.
Pippin & Nacho by Courtney W. Dixon
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Pippin (Sam) and Nacho (Nate) were super cute. These two were foster brothers and best friends for around 7 years. They also have a ton of codependency going on. Nate was abandoned as a baby and Sam was forced to undergo conversion therapy as a young teen and ran away, ending up in foster care.
Nate is fiercely protective of Sam. Always wanting to take care of him and do things for him. He just doesn’t realize he’s doing half of it for himself because he’s afraid Sam will abandon him.
Sam is ADHD, has horrible anxiety and likely some PTSD from what happened to him. He leans on Nate a lot. He’s also terrified of Doctors.
This story as a whole was good but it wasn’t overly exciting. There’s a little drama but overall it’s basically navigating their relationship.
Level Up by Max Walker
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Jay and Ryan are adorable. These two meet at a party and end up being dorm mates. They’re attracted to each other but Jay refuses Ryan quite a bit because Ryan is the son of a man who owns an oil company, Ryan’s family is everything Jay stands against.
Jay’s character is very headstrong. He believes in something and doesn’t let anything detour him from his set goal. Even Ryan, as attracted to him as he was he wouldn’t cross the line because of who Ryan’s family is.
Ryan I absolutely loved his character. Cute and a bit goofy. He wanted to prove to Ryan that he was more than his last name.
Once these two got together their chemistry was explosive.
Anyone But Me by J.D. Frost
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Omg this book! It was so good. Oakley and Asher are actually perfect for each other, similar in ways but polar opposites in others.
Oakley has been going to school with Asher for about year, since his and his sister’s parents died and they had to live with their uncle. Oakley is a strong character. His uncle is physically abusive and Oakley is doing everything he can to save money to get him and his away once he graduates. I loved his character. His protectiveness over his sister. His drive and determination to get them out.
Asher was actually a quite adorable character. Yes he does bully Oakley around some in the beginning but it doesn’t last long. There was a lot more depth to his character than I expected. He goes through his own struggles albeit not quite the extreme of Oakley is experiencing.
Once Asher gets a taste of Oakley it is ON. They both fall hard and fast but it’s not without some heartache thrown in. They face quite a few obstacles along the way. The way the book is written everything really ties together and flows nicely. The only thing that got me was that Asher didn’t put it together that Oakley’s abuser was his uncle sooner.
I am so glad they got their extremely hard earned HEA.
Burning the Midnight Oil by Ashley James
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
For me personally Burning the Midnight Oil is my least favorite book of the series so far. That’s not to say it isn’t good by any means. It’s a good story.
Boone is Grady’s ex brother-in-law. They fall into the relationship quickly and everything happens when Boone is divorced (except maybe the first kiss, him and his wife may have just been separated) so the only taboo part is really the fact that Grady is Boone’s ex wife’s brother.
There isn’t a lot of angst or forbidden moments. I guess went in and expected something different; more taboo, and more drama when things came to light. It just wasn’t super exciting.
Overall it’s still good and I definitely recommend reading. Now I’m very curious as to what Colt has in store for us after that snippet 🥵.
Oleander: A Great Expectations Retelling by Scarlett Drake
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
There’s a lot to unpack here, you really just need to read it but go in knowing that it’s going to hurt to get to the HEA. This an MM, coming of age, Great Expectations retelling. The writing is amazing. The story was intriguing, I haven’t read Great Expectations in a long time so I had to brush up a bit.
Jude and Caspien meet at the age of 15 when Jude’s brother-in-law (he lives with his sister and her husband) starts working at and eventually move onto Caspian’s uncles estate. They developed this strange sort of friendship that turns into more.
I won’t lie, I did not like Caspien until closer to the end of the book. His character though had been raised to avoid love and then he met Jude. He was still quite horrible even once they were “friends.” Also the older man while he was only 16 made me cringe.
Jude I felt for. When Caspien left he had to move on with life and it seemed every time he’d make a little progress Caspien would show up. Cas just kept hurting Jude and it made me ill. Jude was such an amazing character. His love for Caspien ran soul deep.
I did start to feel for Caspien more towards the end, no one deserves that.
The big reveal in the end kinda fell flat for me. I understand Caspien didn’t want Jude to resent him if he stayed when they were younger but I guess that’s how things had to be for Caspien to be able to understand what love is. He hurt Jude but also himself. Overall it’s a good read, it’s long and divided into three parts. This isn’t your typical romance so know that going in.
Suddenly You by Cora Rose
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
How I’ve been waiting for Matt and Cooper’s story since Except You. Suddenly You starts off basically where Except You ends with their little snippet waking up together.
Matthew is trying to do better but waking up married to a man, wasn’t on his list of things to do. Matthew wants a divorce like immediately but Cooper has other plans. He wants to stay married and for Matthew to live with him to “pay off the debt of divorcing.”
These two are so adorable. Matthew is so touch starved, it’s just the sweetest thing when they cuddle. Cooper has this intense need to care for Matthew. I just loved their story. The spice is kind of a slower burn but it truly fits their story. Their chemistry is intense and there is a bit of angst for the build up. I honestly didn’t dislike anything about this book.
Now I’ll be patiently waiting for Mitch and I hope someone rocks his world and brings that man to his knees, I cannot wait!
Coil of Boughs by Penny Moss
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I absolutely loved this book! I’m in a paranormal/fantasy phase and this was perfect. Initially the blurb caught my attention, but the story really sucked me in from the very beginning.
Ruri is quite the character, a bit accident prone in my opinion. I loved his attitude, though. His witty banter with the witch, who is a side character we see quite a bit of, is hilarious.
Awi is Demon. Though, he’s like a gentle giant but if you mess with Ruri he’ll jack you up, and that’s putting it lightly. Ruri and Awi were so cute together. It’s kind of a slow burn, but not sloooooowwww burn. The spice is good and not too over the top that it detracts from the story.
It was quite the adventurous book! If you love fantastic side characters, witches, demons, skin crawlers and other creatures you’ll enjoy this book. I can’t wait for the next book!
Too Hostile by Nicole Dykes
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
How I love a profesor/student romance! This was so good. Fletcher and Ronan were on fire. Fletcher is one of Ronan’s students in the beginning of the story, however the relationship doesn’t start until summer break when Fletcher is technically not Ronan’s student anymore.
Fletcher is adorable. After all he’s been through he’s still able to be a happy, kind and gentle person. Ronan is more reserved having been through a similar situation as Fletcher, he doesn’t want to risk his stability for a “fling.”
It’s a pretty short read, but definitely worth it. The chemistry was off the charts and the side characters were amazing (especially Blair).
Under Your Skin by Lee McCormick
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Another awesome story by Lee McCormick! Check the trigger warnings as there are some heavy topics.
Levi and Jonah are fascinating. They’re a morbidly intriguing couple, complimenting each other well. I don’t want to give the story away with too much detail.
This story captured my attention from the very beginning. There are twists and turns that keep you sucked into the book. That ending though! I honestly didn’t see that coming. Loved this book. Definitely recommend if you love dark MM romance.