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Beautiful coming of age shifter story

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-18-25

Okay so this has been on my TBR for a good long while and I kept seeing it recommended and I finally got this on audio and dove in. It is really good. This is like a coming of age story and shifters and mates and all the good of shifters and all the bad. This is a single pov, Ox and we follow him from a young boy to a young man of about 26-27. His dad leaves them, but the kindness of Gordo is what saves Ox and his mom from so much. Ox starts working at Gordo’s garage very young and he creates a found family. Then on his 16th birthday, the Bennett family moves into the vacant house on Ox’s street, the only other house on that same street. There he meets 10 year old Joe who latches on and becomes his best friend. Joe’s older brothers, Caleb and Kelly, his uncle Mark who is 24, and his parents Thomas and Elizabeth quickly become another found family for Ox. All of a sudden Ox and his mom have so much love and support. We follow Ox and the Bennett pack through so much. Ox learning about the pack, becoming part of the pack and the monster that has haunted Joe since he was a little boy. After devastation hits the pack, Joe leaves to hunt the monster and Ox is left behind to tend to the pack and his life. It’s a beautiful coming of age story and an interesting world the author has built. It is well written, engaging and intriguing. It’s a low spice book and not a lot of passion between Joe and Ox. They spend too much of the time apart for me. I feel this is more of a coming of age story that has a romance theme, but it’s not a typical romance shifter book. While I really enjoyed it, I felt like it was missing pieces for me. And there was one thing that bothered me so much, Ox mentions several times that you can’t feel pain in a dream, but that is false and it bothered me every time he or someone else said it. I still enjoyed reading this story and I will definitely read the next book. I listened to the audio and let me tell you, the narrator does an amazing job.

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Audrey and Josiah Haven are everything

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-03-25

This book was just too adorable for words. I’m obsessed in a very good way. Audrey is a true ray of sunshine, bubbly, optimistic girl. And Josiah is a stoic, broody lumberhunk. Opposites totally attract in this story. Audrey has come home, feeling like she failed out in the world on her own. She moves in with her mom, which has her quickly looking for a place of her own when her derpy dog, Max constantly wants to make friends with her mom’s princess of a cat. She ends up moving into a rental property that Josiah owns, next door to the property he is renovating to put on the rental market. Their meet cute was an adorable and hilarious. Josiah tries really hard to not like and fall for Audrey, he’s got some serious abandonment issues and with good reason. It’s why he is so stubborn about staying single. It doesn’t take long for the stalker to start making themselves known to Audrey, and at first she tries to explain it away but from the first moment, something eats at Josiah. He can’t stop being protective and possessive over Audrey which is just a yummy combination. This town is just the best with amazing and funny characters, such an amazing small town community who truly comes together for each other. As always, you can expect a Claire Kingsley story to be heartwarming and these two characters don’t disappoint. Taking some words from Audrey, this story has “leveled up.” It not only met all expectations of Tilikum with the squirrels, the gossip line, Haven brothers and Bailey brothers, but it exceeded those expectations and made the debut Haven brothers book amazing. Josiah and Audrey are the perfect Grumpy and Sunshine pair, much like Asher and Grace were. It doesn’t surprise me that Josiah and Asher have become friends. This small town romance with a bit of thrill and a whole lot of love is heartwarming and beautiful. A significant milestone for Tilikum fans who have been waiting on the edge of their seat for this first Haven brother to be dragged down the aisle into “wedded bliss” like the Bailey brothers. The story was very well written with meet cutes, new friendships, friendly competitions, wonderful community, some steamy times and true love. Leave it to Claire Kingsley to make us fall in love with the Haven brothers like we did the Bailey brothers.

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Fantastic enemies to lovers hockey MM romance

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-26-25

So good!!! And omg so hot!! These two had amazing chemistry and sexual tension. And the steamy scenes were hot AF. I loved these two guys so much. The plot was great, the characters fantastic. It was entertaining and enjoyable. And after listening to some of these scenes you might need a cold shower! The audio book was amazing, these two narrators just brought everything to life. As always, Jesse H Reign does not disappoint. I thoroughly loved this enemies to lovers hockey romance. And I can’t wait for more of this world.

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Adorable and steamy

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-10-25

This was absolutely adorable and steamy AF. I loved Wyn and Derek. This boss to lovers story is so cute and steamy and amazing. And it was amazing getting to see Miller and Ryan’s wedding from Wyn and Derek’s pov. Well written, made me laugh out loud and smile so big, fan myself. The characters were so endearing and real. The narrators do an amazing job bringing these characters to life. Such an amazing series.

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Hot AF enemies to lovers

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-05-25

I love this story. Ryan and Miller are awesome. The narrators do such an amazing job!

This is one of the best love stories I’ve read in a while. Miller is a rich guy who has lived a privileged life that looks easy from the outside but nothing is ever what it looks like. He seems like a jerk on the outside but he’s not. He is sweet and a big ol cinnamon roll of a golden retriever. He is observant and likes to watch people, he pays close attention and I fell head over heels in love with this guy. Ryan is prickly and broody. He comes from a family that lives paycheck to paycheck. He comes from a background where he was bullied and treated badly. He has walls so tall and thick that it will take someone special to get around them. Someone worthy and someone that is his soulmate. Cause that’s what these two guys are, soulmates and absolutely perfect for one another. Ryan tries so hard to keep that wall in place but Miller is like a steady river that just keeps washing away at the stone, until he has a path through. Their relationship starts out different than most, Miller pays Ryan for sex. It’s the way he starts their connection and provides for Ryan. And while this is going on, they get to know one another and their connection grows, even if Ryan wants to keep it from being true. Their banter was fantastic and their inner musings were hilarious and incredibly sweet. The author did a truly remarkable job telling these two guys story. This is truly my favorite book by Jesse. H Reign. I was completely sucked into this story, into their world. I can’t get over how wonderfully well written it was, at times it was poetic and melodic. It gave the sense of fantasy and ethereal beings while being based in reality. It brought to life the magic of soulmates.

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Amazing story

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-11-24

This book was absolutely amazing. It hit so many emotional points for me but there was so much love and beauty in the relationship that developed. In the relationship between the supporting characters. This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster but it was so worth it. Cain, beautiful, hard, sweet Cain. He has had his fair share of struggles and issues in his life. Ex- special forces that had trouble adjusting back into society, opened his own business of mercenaries to deal with the crap that the justice system hasn’t been able to take care of. He’s had so many problems in his own life. And then we have Ezra. Beautiful, broken and amazing Ezra who started out as a victim and clawed his way out. There was one quote that resonated with me in this book. One part that just tore my heart out in the best way possible. “My boy went to heaven, and I got to pull you out of hell.” - Jakey. In this life we don’t always get someone to pull us out of our own personal Hell’s but Ezra was truly blessed and so was Jakey, they had each other and their relationship was just truly beautiful in the most purest way. Cain and Ezra are perfect for each other, they have so much chemistry, so much love for one another. It’s slow going, but in this type of book it definitely needs slow. They build something wonderful and deep, something electric. The writing is amazing. This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it will not be the last. I am definitely a big fan now. I love when an author can move me to tears, when they can make me fall in love with their characters and care for them as if they are my own, when they can make me smile through the pain. Abigail Glenn definitely does that. My heart aches for Ezra’s pain, for Cain. But my heart is so full of love right now for these two characters and the many amazing supporting characters in this book. It was a remarkable journey of healing, of pain and love, of mental health issues. This is definitely a book that deals with heavy topics, please pay attention to the TW’s but it is worth it. This book is worth all the pain. Cause the love you feel? That is just amazing. This group of mercenaries is like an extended family and I loved getting a glimpse into them. I loved the dark humor in this book, it’s totally my kind of humor but it was done well, it didn’t feel inappropriate. I loved that Ezra was able to find himself and build himself up, that Cain and Rev and the others all gave the support he needed to become who he was meant to be, and really his growth in the end was so inspiring to see. Definitely a five star read and I can’t wait to see what comes next. The narrators did an amazing job. I absolutely love these two narrators and they have become instant buys for me, they bring the characters to life!

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Love, love, love Kelly and Blue

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-03-24

I’ve previously read this story and absolutely adored Kelly, he is funny, smart and snarky. Blue…I love him too but his back and forth got tiring and heartbreaking. It was hard to listen to him shut Kelly down and for Kelly to keep getting sucked in. But I loved this story and the narrators do a good job bringing them to life.

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So steamy and hot AF

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-26-24

Absolutely loved this story, its cover to cover smut with a little plot. Wonderful narration

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Amazing take of gladiators, gods and slaves

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-19-24

This was a dark, delicious gladiator story. Mateo is taken as a slave and is given the mercy of a god, so he is allowed to train to become a gladiator. This first book is that journey to becoming a gladiator. I listened to the audio book and the narrator does such a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. It is well written and creative

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Great second installment

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-19-24

Wow, I’m so addicted to this world. I love Matteo and the way he views the world, I love seeing him slowly change how Eloy views the world. I can’t wait to see what happens next. Wonderfully written, dark and cruel and sensuous. I listened to the audio and it is performed so well by the narrator! Brings them all the life and has a great voice.

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