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ditten's reviews
604 reviews
All Hail the Underdogs by E.L. Massey
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
I'm so utterly delighted and happy and in love! Rome and Damien are grumpy/sunshine + opposites attract perfection.
All Hail the Underdogs reminded me why I love to read! Massey's fanfic roots are obvious and she makes use of them in the best way with her published work, too.
All Hail the Underdogs reminded me why I love to read! Massey's fanfic roots are obvious and she makes use of them in the best way with her published work, too.
The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Calling it quits on this one as I can't imagine ANYTHING Adam could do that would redeem him in my eyes to the point of liking him and wanting him and Riley to be together. Second-chance romances only rarely work for me and The Shots You Take proved to me I should probably steer clear of them.
Reasons for my dnf of a book I've been super psyched for: (all the spoilers)
Adam can go sit in syrup! Let the bees get him!
This man's fucked over Riley continously for the past two decades. It wasn't a one time thing either, this was ongoing and he kept breaking Riley every time he denied him and messed him about by being hot and cold.
He LAUGHED in Riley's face when Riley confessed his love?? That should've been a forever deal-breaker, wtf? And then knowing Riley was in love with him, Adam still CHEATED on his wife with Riley, drawing Riley in again, dangling that little bit of hope Riley would do anything for. Only to abandon him AGAIN.
Adam got the life he wanted, when he wanted it - he got his family, his wife and children, his dream career. All while Riley was suffering. And now that Adam's decided he's ready to face his sexuality and has gotten a divorce, he's ready to get with Riley 17 years later. Never mind how vulnerable Riley is right now because his dad just died which feels gross for Adam to basically take advantage of. Everything happens on his terms. He's lived the life he wanted for 20 years while destroying any chance for Riley to be happy.
I love Riley and I feel sad that his self-worth is so low. I do want him to forgive Adam because the pain takes up so much of him, but I want it so Riley can move on, not so Adam can get with him. I just can't see how I'm going to want the two of them together and how l'I be able to like Adam, so I'm going to quit before I get even more annoyed with this premise.
I read an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley
Reasons for my dnf of a book I've been super psyched for: (all the spoilers)
This man's fucked over Riley continously for the past two decades. It wasn't a one time thing either, this was ongoing and he kept breaking Riley every time he denied him and messed him about by being hot and cold.
He LAUGHED in Riley's face when Riley confessed his love?? That should've been a forever deal-breaker, wtf? And then knowing Riley was in love with him, Adam still CHEATED on his wife with Riley, drawing Riley in again, dangling that little bit of hope Riley would do anything for. Only to abandon him AGAIN.
Adam got the life he wanted, when he wanted it - he got his family, his wife and children, his dream career. All while Riley was suffering. And now that Adam's decided he's ready to face his sexuality and has gotten a divorce, he's ready to get with Riley 17 years later. Never mind how vulnerable Riley is right now because his dad just died which feels gross for Adam to basically take advantage of. Everything happens on his terms. He's lived the life he wanted for 20 years while destroying any chance for Riley to be happy.
I love Riley and I feel sad that his self-worth is so low. I do want him to forgive Adam because the pain takes up so much of him, but I want it so Riley can move on, not so Adam can get with him. I just can't see how I'm going to want the two of them together and how l'I be able to like Adam, so I'm going to quit before I get even more annoyed with this premise.
I read an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley
Time to Shine by Rachel Reid
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
Reread thoughts: ugh, I just adore Casey and Landon, and their friendship and relationship so much! Upping this to 5 stars.
My previous thoughts from when I read an ARC in 2023:
Time to Shine is peak grumpy/sunshine friends-to-lovers queer hockey romance!
This book was such a joy to read. Like with any hockey book, I understood none of the hockey stuff but that wasn't needed for me to fall in love with its characters.
Both Landon and Casey are mid-twenties, and while both are hockey players, they are otherwise complete opposites.
Landon's pretty reserved, quiet, and prefers to just blend in which is his plan when he's called up to play for Calgary. He's nervous about proving himself, and he tells himself he's only there to do a job and then go home. He's still dealing with losing his sister when he was a teenager, and his life is now fully dedicated to his career.
Casey on the other hand is sunshine personified. He's outgoing, charming, and maybe a bit too loud. Everyone loves him, at least in small doses, he's a star on the team, and to most people he seems to have no worries at all (spoiler, he does.) He loves hockey, people, and sex, and he's openly bi, something that's never an issue to anyone in this book and it was honestly refreshing to have no homophobia in a sports romance.
No one can resist Casey's charm, and his insistence on Landon staying with him has the two opening up to each other and slowly becoming friends. These two guys just fit together, and they were absolutely wonderful.
Casey is the loml, he's so bright and good, and I adore Landon as well. Casey loves sex and has a lot of it while Landon is aspec and has never really been interested in sex until Casey. The way they navigated intimacy and consent was wonderful and had aspects I'd never read before but absolutely adored. The communication between the two was *chef's kiss* and they had so much fun together, in and out of bed.
Honestly, this book was just so fully delightful and wholesome.
My previous thoughts from when I read an ARC in 2023:
Time to Shine is peak grumpy/sunshine friends-to-lovers queer hockey romance!
This book was such a joy to read. Like with any hockey book, I understood none of the hockey stuff but that wasn't needed for me to fall in love with its characters.
Both Landon and Casey are mid-twenties, and while both are hockey players, they are otherwise complete opposites.
Landon's pretty reserved, quiet, and prefers to just blend in which is his plan when he's called up to play for Calgary. He's nervous about proving himself, and he tells himself he's only there to do a job and then go home. He's still dealing with losing his sister when he was a teenager, and his life is now fully dedicated to his career.
Casey on the other hand is sunshine personified. He's outgoing, charming, and maybe a bit too loud. Everyone loves him, at least in small doses, he's a star on the team, and to most people he seems to have no worries at all (spoiler, he does.) He loves hockey, people, and sex, and he's openly bi, something that's never an issue to anyone in this book and it was honestly refreshing to have no homophobia in a sports romance.
No one can resist Casey's charm, and his insistence on Landon staying with him has the two opening up to each other and slowly becoming friends. These two guys just fit together, and they were absolutely wonderful.
Casey is the loml, he's so bright and good, and I adore Landon as well. Casey loves sex and has a lot of it while Landon is aspec and has never really been interested in sex until Casey. The way they navigated intimacy and consent was wonderful and had aspects I'd never read before but absolutely adored. The communication between the two was *chef's kiss* and they had so much fun together, in and out of bed.
Honestly, this book was just so fully delightful and wholesome.
Halloween Fumble by A. Winchester
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Lol, guess my first book of 2025 was a short, filthy, mask sex one. This was hot though!
A short story that's basically the first few chapters of an upcoming book (or the prologue to it?)
Two masked guys have hot sex in a frat house bathroom on Halloween, thinking they're strangers. Turns out they're not, as Rhodes is Theo's best friend's older brother, back home for the first time in over a decade, and they really shouldn't be hooking up.
Can't wait for the full book!
A short story that's basically the first few chapters of an upcoming book (or the prologue to it?)
Two masked guys have hot sex in a frat house bathroom on Halloween, thinking they're strangers. Turns out they're not, as Rhodes is Theo's best friend's older brother, back home for the first time in over a decade, and they really shouldn't be hooking up.
Can't wait for the full book!
Durch das große Feuer by Alice Winn
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
4th read, December '24: German audiobook (Durch das Große Feuer.)
I read this one to brush up on my German - I figured reading a book I already knew and loved would be the way to go, and I'm surprised by how well it worked. I really liked the narrator, though it's interesting how the German audiobook skips the rolls of honour even though they're in the physical copy.
I've never been so obsessed with a book as I am this one. It's so deep under my skin, it feels like it's become part of me, and yet it's like a punch to the gut every time I read it. Gaunt and Elly are everything to me.
I read this one to brush up on my German - I figured reading a book I already knew and loved would be the way to go, and I'm surprised by how well it worked. I really liked the narrator, though it's interesting how the German audiobook skips the rolls of honour even though they're in the physical copy.
I've never been so obsessed with a book as I am this one. It's so deep under my skin, it feels like it's become part of me, and yet it's like a punch to the gut every time I read it. Gaunt and Elly are everything to me.
"And it was a magical thing, to love someone so much; it was a feeling so strange and slippery, like a sheath of fabric cut from the sky"
To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely loved this book! Incredible character and gorgeous love story!
Currently wracked by post-sob shakes because this book somehow made me cry the whole way through, even when it wasn't overly sad or angsty. Idek, it's written in this very emotionally beautiful way and it just truly got to me.
RTC
Currently wracked by post-sob shakes because this book somehow made me cry the whole way through, even when it wasn't overly sad or angsty. Idek, it's written in this very emotionally beautiful way and it just truly got to me.
RTC
A Mage's Guide to Wicky by A.J. Sherwood
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I really liked Wicky in the previous two books but for some reason I found this one boring. I guess he just works better for me as a side character than he does a protagonist .
A Mage's Guide to Aussie Terrors by A.J. Sherwood
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? No
3.5
I really like Bel, Nico, and Garen, and I love how there isn't any drama within their relationship or over them being poly which they all accepted very easily in book 1. Wicky is also great and I love his friendship with Nico.
However, the story dragged for me and I found myself bored with a lot of it, sadly. Spencer was way over the top Evil, and I could've done without him though it was nice to see Bel get some closure.
However, the story dragged for me and I found myself bored with a lot of it, sadly. Spencer was way over the top Evil, and I could've done without him though it was nice to see Bel get some closure.
My Best Friend's Body Heat by Archie Finch
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This was such a cute little childhood friends to lovers story. It felt a lot sweeter than the other Finch book I'd read and while it still had hot smut, that didn't seem to be the focus of this one but rather the emotional relationship between Rohan and Lucian. Really enjoyed this.
Ho Ho Homicidal Maniac by K.A. Merikan
dark
medium-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? Yes
3.25
This was fine. Idk, it had some funny moments and a couple of hot scenes but mostly it was just, well, fine.