unusablebooklore's reviews
322 reviews

Test Drive by Riley Hart

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adventurous emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Bi rep
Brother of his half sisters husband

Anon hookup turns all too not anon when these guys find out they are essentially family. Drew is still exploring his bisexuality, Justin is self assured and seems happy to take the reins in getting the physical comfort and distraction he needs. 

These books are so sex positive and so hot 🥵 
 
This book is also SUPER HEAVY 

CW: parent with cancer, heavy end of life care. 
 
Made me cry 😭 
Shifting Gears by Riley Hart

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

Spicy 🥵 
Bisexual rep 
Friends to lovers 
 
Super seggs positive 
 
Rod uses the F-slur frequently when he thinks and talks about his unsupportive and emotionally abusive father. 
 
Landon is foolish for the first half of the book with his needless avoidance of an actual relationship with Rod. But when the love hits it HITS.
 
The Mothers in this series are the real villains book 1 and book 2 have some of the WORST mothers. 
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Crossroads by Riley Hart

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

2x Queer awakening
#MiddleLifeRomance MCc 32/30

Holy Hanna this was wonderful. Reading this was getting a sneak peek Nick and Bryce's romance. We get to follow along as they get all of their firsts as a couple together; as they had both only been with women prior to being together.

This book was 🥵🥵🥵.

The narration of this was TOP tier.
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Takeover by Anna Zabo

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adventurous emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Anonymous hook up turned boss sitch. 
Scorching 
 
Not overly complex. 
forbidden attraction, some semi public seggs, budding friendship, corporate intrigue, suspenders and seggy suits. 

This was a super easy and enjoyable. Even if question the safety of the MCs first interaction and Sam's desire for pain. I genuinely have no idea I put off reading it for so long. I'll be continuing with the remainder of this series ASAP. 

Personal note of question:
Sam in HELLA in the closet, is this how people actually are? You can’t excel at business if you’re gay or is this book just being SUPER dramatic. 
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More Me With You by Alex Bertie

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adventurous funny informative lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Defo not the sort of book I naturally gravitate to; single POV, slow, no spice, novella. Felt more like a snippet of someones real life. 
 
Super funny and  engaging, as a cis woman I was still able to relate to SO many of Will issues because they don’t stem from being a trans man they stem from him being human living in the age of 🍆 pics. 
His Cocky Valet by Cole McCade

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adventurous emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

Trans author 
Size difference 
Age gap 
Boss/employee 
 
Dommy Valet, has some very serious Daddy Dom vibes. When he finds the right boy he goes all in. SERIOUSLY. ALL. IN.

Not terribly deep but filled with some heavy topics. Heavy on grief, feelings of inadequacy, and end of life care.
 

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Total Creative Control by Joanna Chambers, Sally Malcolm

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Boss / Employee 
Grumpy / Sunshine 
Forced proximity 
Passive Jealousy 
 
Only really picked this up because I’ve got an ARC of the 2nd book. I’m SO SO SO glad I grabbed this one too. 
 
So much tingly goodness, so much tension. I love a slow smoulder. 
 
53% - they KISS!!! And immediately 💥 and then immediately stop talking. I love a character that is in love and doesn't even know it. 
 
Exceptional narration. Literally listened to it straight through since I had a free day. 
 
Love letter to fanfic in its own way. Could have got real soapboxy like many books get, but it was balanced and restrained in a way I can’t manage when I explain to my husband why romance isn’t rubbish. 
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Worth the Wait by Kate Hawthorne

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adventurous emotional hopeful fast-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? No

4.0

K!ink 
Daddy/Boy (not Little) 
#MiddleLifeRomance 
Long distance - online meet cute
 
Slight overlap with the end of the first book in this series. It's not essential to have read the first book at all. This book had a much easier level of K!nk for my brain to wrap around than the first book. I was also pretty thrilled to get a glimpse of the couple from book 1 (Landon/Gregory) in less intense situations. 

Callum and Jack are so cute, they deal with some super heavy issues but manage them is a way that felt reasonable and similar to how I think anyone would have.
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Worth the Risk by Kate Hawthorne

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adventurous challenging emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

K!nk 
Second chance 
#MiddleLifeRomance 
 
60/40 spicy story 
 
Much heavier BSDM than I really anticipated or understand. I felt bad for Landon for most of the book. He was into everything and loving what he was getting from Gregory and all my brain could do was demand to know why Gregory was being so intense and why the book didn't show more aftercare?! I felt like even I needed a little cuddle after many of the scenes. 
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Catalysts: The Scientific Method by Kris Ripper

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adventurous funny slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

21 year old boy dreams of being man handled and meets a 29 year old (who’s voice is English in my brain) to be the man to handle him. Sexy man handling happens, along with a whole lot of fun k!nks. I'm a little confused why does Hugh keep saying he’s old, and "in the middle" of his journey. He’s 30. Give me a GD break. 
 
At 60% we meet the third member of this party, but the book continues with two very distinct relationships. But, they stat to overlap with time. Be warned there is a, holy wow, intense 3 person CNC scene.

In the end this all merges into a HFN situationship. I didn’t realise books 2-9 aren’t standalone. I liked it, and the next books are much shorter. I’m just not interested enough for 8 HFN books that seem to get increasingly filled with drama, sadness and eventually infidelity. 😬 
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