3.5/5 stars! Another solid installment in the Puckboys series. Maybe not my favourite in the series, but I just can't get over how quickly I always fl3.5/5 stars! Another solid installment in the Puckboys series. Maybe not my favourite in the series, but I just can't get over how quickly I always fly through these Sedenverse books.
I have to admit, the social media posts around this one got me excited to delve back into this world the most. We didn't really see much from the Kiki brothers in previous books, so I wasn't sure what to expect at all. Obviously we got the charity game we've been building up to in this one, but besides that I feel like this is a solid entry point for new fans because of it!
Easton was an interesting character. I could appreciate his struggle with his brother, trying to become more independent and that being difficult with how entangled their lives are (and have been up to this point). His love for Knox was really sweet and once they got together, I loved how committed he was to making it work. At times that did make it feel like he loved Knox more than the other way around, luckily that didn't stay that way (at least from my point of view). Knox had a bit less of an internal conflict going on in comparison to East, but still a solid storyline with his career/chasing his dreams. I do wish we got a bit more casual together time between our main couple, don't get me wrong I understand they are horny, but I would have liked seeing their love grow a bit more gradually from young crushes/obsessions to the wonderful love they seem to have at the end.
Now, Connor. The oldest Kiki. This guy is a piece of work, with such a big heart. He's so responsible and loves his brother so much and it broke my heart a bit with how lost he seemed at times over the course of this book. So what has happened for me is, while I was calmly anticipating this book because of the Hockey for a Cause stuff on social media, I'm now losing my mind that I have to wait until MARCH to read Connor and Parker's story ...more
3.5/5! Oh I enjoyed this one tremendously. Bilson was always a bit ridiculous, the straight guy clinging to our Collective men not just because he cou3.5/5! Oh I enjoyed this one tremendously. Bilson was always a bit ridiculous, the straight guy clinging to our Collective men not just because he couldn't keep it in his pants, but because couldn't resist going down on one knee every time... So I was definitely curious to see what kind of guy would give him his queer awakening. I should have guessed it would be someone equally, if not more, ridiculous ...more
I was intrigued by this one, with Quinn being so awkward and cute with his little crush. Him not being able to gAnother cute read from Eden and Saxon!
I was intrigued by this one, with Quinn being so awkward and cute with his little crush. Him not being able to get out words was so funny omg. Vance was a good sport lol. I actually respected him a lot with how he was handling the situation once he found out about the crush, bonus points for him. Their relationship developed gradually, without any big issues or drama which was nice. That first video call was very hot, and a good indication of their sexual compatibility going forward ...more
2.5/5 stars... Gotta be honest, I wasn't feeling the chemistry in this one.
Look, the story is fine. There's nothing wrong with it per se, but it just 2.5/5 stars... Gotta be honest, I wasn't feeling the chemistry in this one.
Look, the story is fine. There's nothing wrong with it per se, but it just didn't work for me. It starts off with insta-lust/love, which is fine I guess but not my cup of tea. Then it doesn't actually take all that long for Aleks and Gabe to start dating, even when they're not calling it that for a bit. Aleks' insecurities were overcome very quickly, as was Gabe's trepidation. What I'm saying is, I wasn't feeling the chemistry and the story was pretty bland so even that didn't hook me. We get very little background on either one of our main characters, we don't discuss family and how they are supportive/how they suck, we meet friends but that's very rushed... we don't even see that much from the Collective. The bits we get with them are fun, and made me curious to see Quinn's story, but that's about it.
Like I said, there's nothing bad about this, but for me nothing stood out either. Even the sex didn't feel all that hot to me. This could have been a whole road of discovery for Aleks, but everything just came incredibly easy. Which in real like would be awesome of course, but for a novel that means that nothing much happens...
Overall not a bad read, but didn't do anything for me either. If I'm correct this might be my lowest rated Sadenverse novel yet, but hey you don't write off authors because of one book, their track record is still great overall, so I'm looking forward to continuing down this rabbit hole, starting Up In Flames now!...more
A fun read. Really liked the premise and first half of this book, after that it let me down a little bit... It's not bad by any means, but I personallA fun read. Really liked the premise and first half of this book, after that it let me down a little bit... It's not bad by any means, but I personally just didn't see the romance between these two characters.
Let's start at the beginning. We already got a glimpse of Lane babysitting Oskar in the last book, so I was quite excited to see how we got in this situation and how it would evolve. It was funny, hot, exciting, banter and jokes were top notch. When Lane finally gave in (timing was very good imo, not too quick, but not too dragged out), I was definitely on board. The arrangement was a bit vague to be honest, but I didn't really care. What let me down a bit was that I feel like we were told more than shown that they got to know each other on a deeper level.
While I definitely liked both our main characters, I feel like we never really delved into either of their issues. We know about them, but it feels like we barely scratched the surface and therefore it was hard for me to see some personal growth in either of them. Give me some more details on how Lane trusted the wrong people and how that affected him mentally. Show me how he struggles with trusting Oskar to have an actual relationship beyond just having sex. Show me his tendency to want to 'fix' people and show me how he learns from his past mistakes and how he learns to trust after being abandoned by his family. Don't just tell me he got over that with no problems. And Oskar, Lane keeps saying he sees beyond his façade, which is great, but I feel like we don't see it enough. I know he doesn't like deep conversations, but I feel like more of those needed to be had for him to let go off years of built up protection mechanisms.
What I'm saying is, it all felt a little too easy. We don't have all that much background on either Lane or Oskar, we don't meet any family, past struggles and (minor) traumas are glossed over and never discussed properly... And then suddenly they're ready to give up their careers for one another. I just didn't buy it sadly. Again, they were a very fun couple, but I just didn't see enough of a deeper connection besides being told 'Lane is the only person who pays close attention to Oskar and sees beyond his façade'.
But again, not a bad book at all. It had many things to enjoy: the hot sex was hot, lots of funny banter (especially in the first half), the Collective was a big part of this one, Damon (!!) and we got a lot of other cameos from past Eden Finley books too!
So yes, overall, enjoyable but left me feeling meh. I was also hoping for more hockey action, but the focus was firmly on the PR side in this one....more
The writing is fluid as I've come to expect from Eden Finley, it's a breaze to read. I also really likeA quick and easy read, but overall a bit bland?
The writing is fluid as I've come to expect from Eden Finley, it's a breaze to read. I also really like that we're delving into the next generation of queer sports romances with Miller and Talon's son. Seeing them again, being dads especially, was really wonderful. It's just the story here that leaves me a bit wanting.
The premise is kinda funny, our main characters reuniting after a quick hookup when they were like 18, where one of them realised he was gay and the other sort of decided guys were not for him. Because of that though, I kind of would have liked a slower romance? Peyton wanted to kiss Levi way too quickly for my liking is what I'm saying ...more
3.5/5 stars! Wow I finished this super quickly. Sure it's a bit shorter, but still. Once again Eden and Saxon prove that their writing goes down like 3.5/5 stars! Wow I finished this super quickly. Sure it's a bit shorter, but still. Once again Eden and Saxon prove that their writing goes down like a cold glass of water on a hot day.
I was pretty excited to read this book after finishing Egotistical Puckboy because the setup with Dex and Tripp was really good. The love they already have for each other at the start of the story is so palpable. The group holiday is a real highlight in this book. Especially from Dex' pov, seeing this himbo being so lost when he's away from Tripp, not realising that that love is deeper than friendship. It was kind of beautiful and made me a bit emotional, just the honesty of his feelings. Tripp broke my heart a couple of times too, especially when he's trying to explain to his friends that he just can't bear being away from Dex even though it hurts. Absolutely wonderful.
The marriage story is a little bit silly, not gonna lie. Sure it forces our leads together, and this series is supposed to be about the PR nightmares of the hockey world, but it was just so dumb ...more
I have to be honest, when we met Ezra in the CU Hockey series, I wasn't all that excited about his story. Then again, maybe that was kind of the pointI have to be honest, when we met Ezra in the CU Hockey series, I wasn't all that excited about his story. Then again, maybe that was kind of the point, because Anton isn't his biggest fan either at the start of the book ...more
This was a delight. I wasn't expecting this series to go beyond the players themselves, but I'm so glad Eden and Saxon gave West his story.
I really liThis was a delight. I wasn't expecting this series to go beyond the players themselves, but I'm so glad Eden and Saxon gave West his story.
I really like West and his crazy family so I love that we got to spend more time with them after the last book. This time around we got to know the kids even better and we got to see a side of West that we didn't see that much of before. We could have gotten a bit more with him and Asher, but the most important bits regarding them were in the last book, so it's fine.
I didn't read the blurb for this one before jumping in, straight after finishing book 4, so I didn't know professor Eckstein would be the love interest. As soon as the book started with West storming over to his office though, I was on board. It created a great dynamic and it set Jasper up for some good character growth across the story. His reasons for hating jocks, and hockey players in particular, are understandable, but once they start affecting how he treats people it's a problem that he needs to acknowledge. I think we see a realistic change in him, where he doesn't love hockey by the end of it, but isn't carrying that trauma with him anymore and can admire what the sport means to his new family. I am a bit sad that we didn't see much beyond the reunion from his past. What about his parents? Are they supportive, what are they like? Will they understand Jasper being in a relationship with a jock? This is a minor thing of course, but considering the importance of family to this story, I would have liked Jasper's family to be a part of it too. Some of my favourite parts of the story though, are Jasper getting to know the kids and them slowly accepting him as part of their family.
The chemistry with our main characters was great and the sex was super hot, some of the best of the series imo. It also didn't overtake the story or seem like the only thing that was connecting them was that sexual attraction, which is good.
I'm a bit sad this series is over, but look forward to checking out the other books in this universe. As I've said before, it's clear to me that basically any Eden/Saxon book can win me over....more
3.5/5 stars! I'm definitely repeating myself in my reviews of the books in this series, but this was honestly a very enjoyable read.
I was curious to s3.5/5 stars! I'm definitely repeating myself in my reviews of the books in this series, but this was honestly a very enjoyable read.
I was curious to see how Eden and Saxon would make me like Asher, because he was a bit of a little shit before, but low and behold, they succeeded. His personal story with his siblings was very touching and I loved their relationship with him. I also liked seeing more of the dynamic between him and West. I may not love him the way Kole does, but I can definitely see the appeal. Speaking of Kole, I really liked him, liked how he wasn't judgmental and was open to seeing who Asher was for himself, instead of just listening to others' opinions of him. Besides that, I do kind of wish we got a bit more from him. His backstory is pretty meager and we don't see much of his studies and barely anything about his friends/life outside of his developing relationship with Asher. I get that the series is called 'CU Hockey' but still, I kind of wish the stories would be more balanced when one of our main characters isn't a hockey player.
The premise with the study motivation is a little silly, not gonna lie, but it does get the ball rolling. For someone as closed off as Asher, this 'tutor with benefits' situation allowed for them to explore their attraction without the pressure of a potential relationship. By the time they have to think about the future, they are secure in their feelings for one another, which is nice. Like the other books in this universe, it's pretty low angst and that allows me to fully relax while reading.
The writing is just as fluent as I'm used to from these authors, their books really read like a train. Sometimes the focus is a little more on the sex scenes than I would like, but here there was a pretty good balance.
Overall, another win for me. Immediately jumping into book 5! Westly's story will be interesting I'm sure... ...more
3.5/5 stars! This was really cute. Love the demisexual representation, we don't get that in romance novels very often!
I loved seeing Seth discover his3.5/5 stars! This was really cute. Love the demisexual representation, we don't get that in romance novels very often!
I loved seeing Seth discover his sexuality, coming to terms with being demi and what that means/looks like for him. Taking the online route was smart, and it obviously created the perfect opportunity for our main characters to "meet". I really enjoyed reading their chats and seeing them get closer, and them meeting without knowing it was the person they were falling for online was great. Once they did find out, it did go a little bit fast for me. It's like the whole apprehension around their sexual attraction was gone. I get that that was the point they were making, that for Seth, once he makes that emotional connection, he's definitely able to feel sexual attraction, but it was still a bit abrupt for me. I would have preferred them trying dating first before becoming so sexually active. I did enjoy seeing their coming out journey with the people around them. Hilarious that they sucked at keeping it a secret.
Now, onto the rest of the story. Cohen struggling with figuring out his future was very relatable, knowing he wouldn't be able to continue playing was sad but realistic. A bit disappointed we didn't get much from Seth's side. His academic journey kind of disappeared in the background. I also liked seeing his friends, but again disappointed it was just a quick cameo. Seth's life basically seemed very empty in comparison to Cohen. He had his team, who we also already know a little bit from the previous books. Sure Seth has Zach, but we barely got any moments with just the two of them. What I'm getting to is, the story felt a little bit out of balance, with the focus being much more on Cohen. Of course their relationship takes center stage, but still considering Seth came in with kind of significantly more issues, I would have liked more from him. He already had to deal with people assuming he was in denial about being gay, now that he's in a relationship with a man, how's that gonna impact him? People's constant assumptions drove me insane by te way.
I appreciated the final conflict between them. Their actions made sense and the conflict was one that needed to happen for both of them to learn more about each other and grow as people and as a couple. I liked seeing them figuring out a solution and of course because it's a romance novel, everything went to plan in the end, but it was cute so I'm not mad at things being a little convenient for once.
Overall, a sweet romance with a great online start. The least one of the series for me so far for me, but not bad at all. Really curious to see Asher's story, the little shithead....more
A fun, low angst romance. Great continuation of the series.
I was honestly expecting there to be more hockey in this one, since the main characters areA fun, low angst romance. Great continuation of the series.
I was honestly expecting there to be more hockey in this one, since the main characters are both hockey players, but it somehow had less that the first book? ...more
I was in the mood for something sweet and sexy, preferably low angst so I immediately thought of Eden Finley. I read basically all of her solo books iI was in the mood for something sweet and sexy, preferably low angst so I immediately thought of Eden Finley. I read basically all of her solo books in the Damonverse in May so naturally it was about time I checked out her cowritten works with Saxon James ...more
I was really looking forward to this one. These characters, especially Jet, had a story brewing for a while and let me tell you, they delivered.
The chI was really looking forward to this one. These characters, especially Jet, had a story brewing for a while and let me tell you, they delivered.
The chemistry was good, I liked how these two communicated and how they were really attuned to each other. I'm glad once again that the author didn't make these go through a 'fake relationship' trope, because that really would have made this story all kinds of messy. I really enjoyed the flashbacks in the beginning, showing exactly what their history was. Even in those, you can feel how drawn to each other Jet and Soren are and it's lovely to see. I also really liked the island vacation bit at the start because I like seeing the whole gang together. I've grown quite attached to this bunch. Sad it's almost over, but I'm reading the short story collection before Final Play to delay saying goodbye ...more
3.5/5 stars! Another fun addition to the series. I'm glad the author didn't force a fake-relationship trope to fit into the series with this one, beca3.5/5 stars! Another fun addition to the series. I'm glad the author didn't force a fake-relationship trope to fit into the series with this one, because as she said herself, it just doesn't fit the backstory these characters already have.
The setup of this one was interesting because for the first time this series, we get two characters who already have this really close bond so we don't see the development from zero. The chemistry was good and they really did complete each other, but I will say the romance aspect felt a little rushed at times. I get that they've already lived through so much together and already experienced a lot together, but we're just being told that and I think it might have been nice to get some more flashbacks to really see them growing closer, even if it was technically just friendship at that point (at least from one side).
Another thing that bothered me a little bit... we have this entire story where Miller is basically out because of his injury. We get setbacks and he needs to work his ass off and by the end you're really invested in this guy's career and how his dreams might get crushed. And then all that tension disappears because we just get told what happens in one line after a time jump. That felt super silly, for real.
Anyway! I still had fun with it. It could have gone a little deeper, a bit more emotional, (can't believe I'm gonna say this) a little bit less sex scenes and more of them hanging out an being together? This is me nitpicking a little bit, but those things could have made this a more meaningful read for me. The coming out issue/plot, just like in the last one, was very well done though....more
3.5/5 stars! I'm really flying through this series, I'm definitely having fun with it.
This one felt a bit different because we really didn't know much3.5/5 stars! I'm really flying through this series, I'm definitely having fun with it.
This one felt a bit different because we really didn't know much about either of these characters. While it's a dual p.o.v. like the other books, I did feel like Ollie was in the spotlight here. I wish Lennon got as much depth as him, I feel like we stayed a bit more on the surface with him which is too bad. They did have good chemistry and I liked that the fake-dating bit here was purely for the family and the actual story was much more about the question does Ollie come out publicly or not. That was very interesting and there's a very satisfying moment where Lennon explains perfectly why it's not an easy thing for Ollie to do.
Not the best of the series, but an enjoyable read. I know it's not the next book, but getting to know Jet some more in this one, I'm really looking forward to his story in book 5....more
Quick, fun, sexy, light romance! I think I like this one better than the first book even.
The fake-dating story was a lot less random in this one, it mQuick, fun, sexy, light romance! I think I like this one better than the first book even.
The fake-dating story was a lot less random in this one, it made much more sense why these two people would pretend to be in a relationship. Like in the first one, it doesn't take long though for the fake to turn pretty real. I think I would have liked more 'events' where they needed to 'pretend', but that's a nitpick. The chemistry was good, characters were flawed but likable. The problems they faced actually made sense and they didn't beat around the bush when it came to solving them. There was no incessant back and forth, which I appreciated. All in all, a nice easy read....more
3.5/5 stars! This was a very sweet graphic novel. Some really interesting themes were brought up. We have teens discovering and questioning heir sexua3.5/5 stars! This was a very sweet graphic novel. Some really interesting themes were brought up. We have teens discovering and questioning heir sexuality, what it's like to be a part of a group with a specific dynamic, anger issues, growing up with divorced parents, having a single mom, having a mom who's dating... There really is a lot of content here.
I do have to say that not all of those elements I mentioned above have the same amount of depth, and I wish some of them would go a little further. The anger issue Alix is dealing with, the reason she approached Ezra in the first place, seemed a little too easily resolved. After that one outburst at the beginning, she never seemed to struggle with it again for example?
The love story is really sweet and I liked that our main characters discussed the whole 'people are convinced I'm gay, will that be an issue for you' thing. Open communication is so important and seeing two young people, both from a family background where they didn't see a lot of healthy relationships, make sure to communicate is really nice. The conflict was a little sudden, especially because they'd just gotten together like the day before, but I guess I'll have to blame that on the book being only so long, so there wasn't any room to have it happen later. Now that I mention it, I really do wish this book was longer. The ending was also a little abrupt to me, and could have benefited from something like an epilogue, where we see Alix on her new team or something (by the way, I thought the hockey team was a part of school, I did not realise she could just switch lol, it seams like an easy solution), or seeing her at the camp (wouldn't her leaving the team interfere with the coach giving her a recommendation??), or going to see the Little Shop Of Horrors play maybe? I don't know, but something like that would have made the ending more rounded off and complete.
All in all, cute romance, not as deep as I would have liked, but props for including so many interesting elements. Would recommend, especially because Faith Erin Hicks' art is always worth it, I love her style....more
This book has elements I really really liked and I'm pretty certain I'll read more from this author, but I have to say the ending of this one left a bThis book has elements I really really liked and I'm pretty certain I'll read more from this author, but I have to say the ending of this one left a bad taste in my mouth... This is very much a preference issue though, I'm sure there's a number of people who really enjoyed the ending. 3.5/5 stars for me.
Let's start off with the good stuff. The characters are super fun, I even wish we got some more time with the entire group. Seeing the #1 behind the title is helping with that though, because I'm definitely interested in reading the stories of the side characters. I also liked the progress Nate and Stassie made in their relationship, there is a very clear arc there and I loved the way they communicated with each other and that throughout all the drama near the end, they always felt like a team. I'm also a huge fan of the way therapy was shown in this book. I appreciated that Stassie had her little toolbelt and we saw her using it, and acknowledging that not everyone has that toolbelt. Another thing I really enjoy is ice skating. I loved that part of the story, I just really hoped more of the story would involve it, and in the end, it didn't really.
Moving on to the things that maybe didn't do it for me as much... I know I said the characters are a plus, and they are, there are just too many of them. Names are being thrown around from the very first chapter, and nothing is being said or shown that allows us the readers to distinguish all these hockey players from each other. I kept forgetting who was who, by the time you figured out the most important people to remember (Robbie, Henry, JJ...) I found myself wondering if I'd missed important bits at the start of the book, when I didn't know all the names yet. Case in point: I forgot for like the first half of the book that the Robbie Lola was hooking up with, was Nate's best friend who's in a wheelchair. Basically, I'm ranting because it was very confusing. Besides that, from the blurb, I was under the impression there would be way more skating, but it really felt like background if I'm honest. Also, the writing was solid, but the last 25% felt a bit rushed for me.
All of that is minor though, I was even ready to give it four stars, until the last epilogue. I'm not talking about the little flash forward with Nate, I actually quite enjoyed that one, my issue is with the last one from Stassie's perspective. It genuinely didn't feel like a logical continuation of these characters' story to me. It went against something one of them said earlier in the book (one of my favourite moments actually), it skipped over the interesting part of them being long distance, and it proposes a preposterous timeline. That might even be my biggest issue, that it's literally just 2.5 years later. Everything that Stassie describes that has happened in the meantime is just ridiculously unbelievable and it has soured me on the entire ending of this book. I'm actually quite upset about it, to be honest.
Now, just because of that final chapter, like I said at the start, I'm not gonna avoid this author at all. It's preference and I can just pretend it didn't happen (well, depending on where in the timeline the next book will take place...). I enjoyed myself plenty over the course of the book, the issues I had were minor enough, just left a bit of a bad taste for me. I'm curious about the next one, though....more
Like with the last one, I somehow didn't put this on read in 2018 when I actually read it the first time... anyway, I'm rereading everything in the feLike with the last one, I somehow didn't put this on read in 2018 when I actually read it the first time... anyway, I'm rereading everything in the fence universe (I'm thinking of rereading the novels too) so I can read volume 5.
This series gets better with every volume. There is amazing character growth in this one, we get to know all the characters a lot more personally and we see the early beginnings of a team forming. Great fun, and wonderful art too!...more
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