Ruthless Creatures by J.T. Geissinger

January 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Ruthless Creatures by J.T. Geissinger
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group/Pan Macmillan
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Five years ago, my fiancé disappeared. He left me with a wedding dress I’d never wear. Left me with the kind of scars that can’t be healed. The man I built my future on vanished like a ghost. All that remained were my broken heart and a million unanswered questions.

Until a mysterious stranger arrives in town.

Tall, dark, and dangerous, Kage is as full of secrets as he is sex appeal. Though I know he’s hiding something, I’m drawn to him like a moth to flame. Heat crackles between us with every look, desire flares into passion, and I fall hard, helpless to resist.

But then I discover he’s been sent to collect on an unpaid debt from my missing fiancé….

And that debt is me.

Nat is struggling in the limbo her life has become. Her fiancé had disappeared without a trace just before their wedding rehearsal dinner and Nat has a million questions along with her broken heart. It might have been five years, but she still can’t seem to reconnect with the world and move on. Then Kage moves in next door. Tall, dark and dangerous Nat knows she shouldn’t be intrigued, but they’re drawn together like a moth to the flame. Then she learns he’s here to collect her fiancé’s debt – and payment will be herself.

This is the first mafia romance/darker romance story I’ve read since the genre exploded in recent years and I have to say this was a good book. In many ways it felt similar to me as the many (many, MANY) erotic romance stories I’ve read over the years, though I’ve usually stayed away from the mafia element. I admit the mafia aspect to this story was fairly light – Kage is the right hand man and member of this particular mafia family but he’s away from home, collecting the debt and “making a point” and I do feel that since he’s out of his home city, away from the rest of the family this really tones down the mafia element of the story. It was perfect for me and I felt it was a really good way to dip my toe into the genre.

The story itself was really quite good. I enjoyed both Nat and Kage’s characters, the plotline of her disappeared fiancé (ex-fiancé, I suppose, since it’s been five years and legally, he was deemed dead) and in particular the emotional fall out Nat has been dealing with over the situation was an emotional and excellent read. I do feel that Kage almost instantly fell in love with Nat – which I thought was strong for the plot and storyline but was never really thoroughly explained or discussed. Much of the book is from Nat’s perspective and so we can see why Kage and his honesty about not being a good person and not being a “regular” kind of man doesn’t turn Nat off. I found Nat’s perspective and attachment a lot better explained and much easier to connect with. I did enjoy Kage and his character truly appealed to me, but I wished a little there were a few more chapters from his perspective so I could have more easily understood some of his thought process. With some difficult themes both characters were going through a bit more balance between their perspectives would have helped me with this, I think.

The paperback copy of this book I purchased and read had a bonus chapter – from Kage’s perspective – at the end and this did fill some of that gap for me. The chapter was after the end of the book, and apparently an addition to the paperback copy only. I thought it was an excellent addition – though obviously I didn’t reach it until I had finished the book itself.

This book has plenty of spice and erotic readers should find it very satisfying. I thought the balance of spice and plot was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed Sloan – Nat’s BFF and a fun and interesting secondary character. The final chapter fairly clearly outlines that the second book will be Sloan’s story and set up a cliffhanger style intro/prequel into the second book so readers who dislike that kind of ending/lead up to the sequel should probably not read the final chapter from Sloane’s perspective.

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Beer Truck by Emily Carrington

January 22, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Beer Truck by Emily Carrington
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When TJ, a famous country star, finds out he has cancer, he retreats to his hometown to heal away from the paparazzi. Uncomfortable living with his parents, he gets a job as a beer truck driver.

Harvey is the owner of a local bar. He’s been following TJ’s career because the two of them used to be lovers. But TJ insisted on being in the closet. Now that Harvey’s older, he can’t imagine burying himself like that ever again.

But when TJ walks into his bar, both men are shocked by the attraction that still blossoms between them. But neither will budge in their beliefs. How can they possibly find happiness in each other’s arms?

Famous country star TJ’s life is turned upside down when he gets a cancer diagnosis. Retreating back to his hometown, all is wants is to escape and try to heal. Getting a job as a beer truck driver, TJ is shocked when he walks into a bar and hinds his secret ex-lover, Harvey still in town and the owner. Can these two stubborn men find their happily ever after?

I found this to be an emotional read – TJ’s fight against his cancer runs fairly smoothly but the depth of emotion and worry he feels runs deep and is quite powerful to read. Readers who aren’t comfortable with cancer as a main plot device should be cautious with this book.

Normally I find books where one (or both) partners are in the closet fairly difficult and annoying to read. I was fairly impressed though with how the author handled it in this story. TJ had two very strong reasons to be so firmly closeted – his strictly religious, homophobic parents but also his music career. That, coupled with Harvey’s refusal to go back into the closet made this a strongly conflicted romance plot and I feel this gave quite a bit of meat to the story. I felt deeply connected to both characters and the emotion all but dripped from the page for me.

Readers looking for well written and stubborn characters, a solid romance plotline and a lot of emotion should find this to be an excellent story. I do feel this might be a difficult read for some people, but I equally feel the story is well with the discomfort. A charged and emotional read, this was a story I’m not likely to forget any time soon.

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Cole For Christmas by Treva Harte

January 15, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Cole For Christmas by Treva Harte
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Holiday, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Sarah has a secret — she wants her best friend Cole. Cole wants Jeff. And Jeff? Surprise! He wants them both.

Cole is wild, funny, impulsive, and Sarah’s best friend. She doesn’t understand what he gets out of submission, but she’s not going to let Cole get hurt the way he has in the past. So when she discovers his new dom is Jeff, the jerk who helped kick her out of her undergraduate program, she knows she has to intervene.

But when she sees Jeff again, she’s confused. He says he wants Sarah to be Cole’s Christmas present, and she’s stunned. She and Cole are just friends, aren’t they? Amazingly, Cole seems to want her as much as she secretly has wanted him. The even bigger surprise? She realizes she wants Jeff too.

Even if she could have them both, this is supposed to be temporary. It’s too bad she’s only allowed to have Cole for Christmas.

Life was never meant to be simple. Cole is Sarah’s best friend. When she finds out his new Dom is Jeff – the jerk who got her kicked out of her undergraduate program – she knows she needs to keep a very close eye on her best friend. Only Jeff thinks Sarah should be Cole’s Christmas present, and suddenly everything gets complicated. Can the three of them work something out with no one having a broken heart in their Christmas stocking?

Readers looking for a spicy and lightly kinky friends-to-lovers style Christmassy read should absolutely enjoy this read. While Jeff and Cole have recently begun a relationship, Cole and Sarah have been good friends for years. I thought this would be an interesting dynamic to the usual menage scenario – one where all the characters know each other quite well already but the relationship itself changed significantly through the story. This certainly made the quick road to intimacy easier to accept and understand so I think most readers should find the storyline believable and realistic.

There was quite a bit of antagonistic history between Jeff and Sarah. While this created a good amount of conflict and tension in the story I was pleased that the author handled the difficult conversation between these two fairly early into the story. Getting their history, the circumstances leading to the situation and both their feelings aired and discussed really paved the way not just for all the sexy shenanigans to be enjoyed, but also for some truth and trust to have room to flourish between them. While not exactly realistic – when do conversations like this ever really go smoothly this fast and this easily? – I could absolutely appreciate the author getting this worked out and smoothed over early so I could sit back and enjoy the relationship develop between the three main characters.

Readers who enjoy their erotica with a bit of BDSM and plenty of spice and strong characters should absolutely enjoy this story. I thought there was a solid balance between the emotional plot, the strong connections between the threesome and the spice levels which made this a lovely read for me.

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Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert

December 10, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

Icarus may not have flown particularly close to the sun, but he has fallen…right into the rough hands of Olympus’s own Poseidon. Being held captive by the gentle giant wouldn’t be so bad if Olympus wasn’t on the eve of destruction…or if Poseidon stopped looking at him with those irresistibly stormy eyes.

Poseidon doesn’t have time to babysit his increasingly bratty prisoner, but he has no choice: Olympus is officially at war, and someone has to keep their best bargaining chip out of harm’s way. The thing is, the longer Poseidon is with Icarus, the more he starts to care for his sworn enemy…and the more he realizes that Icarus isn’t the villain he’s been made out to be. There’s a warmth to him, a vulnerability, that Poseidon finds difficult to ignore or deny.

Now with Circe and the Aeaens at the gate and Olympus a hair’s breadth away from falling, Poseidon will have to make a difficult choice: about himself, about his allegiances, and about the man who woke his heart from its long slumber only to threaten to break it for good…

Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert is the first M/M romance of her Dark Olympus series, and it has both a scorchingly hot romance and lots of action to set up the ending of the series.

Poseidon is one of the three legacy titles of Olympus but he has a very different energy than Hades or Zeus. First of all, this Poseidon was never meant to be Poseidon. He inherited the title when his cousins passed (along with all the responsibilities that come along with it). While he can be assertive and dominant when the situation calls for it, he really doesn’t want to be. Enter Icarus. As the child of Minos, Icarus has spent a lot of time learning to survive in cut-throat environments. With the threat of Circe’s invasion looming (and Icarus being a political prisoner of the Thirteen), they end up leaning on each other for support. And it leads to a lot of spicy scenes (which Katee Robert is known for), but also a surprising amount of emotional depth. Poseidon is a massive dude, but it was palpable to see how much relief he got from surrendering control to Icarus, even if only for the night. And for Icarus, Poseidon helped him see his worth beyond that of a tool for his father and that relationships (both romantic and otherwise) don’t have to be so transactional.

We’re creeping towards the final confrontation, and I am so ready for it. Both Zeus and Hera show their true stripes in this book, and it makes me that much more eager for their story to be told in the next book (even in the original myth their relationship was messy and there’s no doubt in my mind the author will turn that up to 11). I will say being at book 8 of a 10 book series can make things feel a bit draggy at times (especially when Hermes’ book has me even more excited/borderline bouncing out of my seat), but for those who are interested in romance and reimagined Greek mythology I think it’s worth the time investment.

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Like The Stars by Jonathan Wright

December 3, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Like The Stars by Jonathan Wright
Jack-O-Lanterns, 9
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Holiday, Paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

If a Lycan loves you he will take you and ravage you with intense passion, make you come all night, and leave you exhausted and satisfied. In return for your love and your unquestioning obedience he will protect you, cherish you, and love you forever. He will fight to the death to keep you.

A vampire will seduce you with detached casualness and make you come until you scream. He will not stay with you, but will depart smiling, uncaring, having satisfied his own selfish desires and leaving you never wholly satisfied. You will beg to be his slave. He may accept you as such, but will feel no responsibility for you. He will use other women and you will not care as long as he uses you. If you disobey him the punishment will be harsh and painful. If you die he will feel nothing but a vague sense of what-might-have-been.

Lycans and vampires do not mix well.

Denise loved Halloween and particularly enjoyed the fantasy of vampires. Dressed for a party in the French Quarter as a succubus, she was determined to nab a vampire-costumed hottie. What she ended up with was Razul – an actual (not wannabe) vampire. Can one smoking hot night lead to something more?

I thoroughly enjoyed this super short Halloween themed spicy story. While I feel the story is somewhat unconventional, I do think other open minded erotica readers should enjoy this as thoroughly as I did. Readers needing a one-man, one-woman style of sexy story might not enjoy this quick read, but I do think if you keep an open mind this interesting and slightly different Halloween read could be something fresh and different.

I enjoyed how the author led us along and felt the story and changes to Denise were well explained. This is a new-to-me author, and I’d definitely be intrigued and interested to read more of his work. With a surprisingly robust plot for such a short story, I enjoyed both the twist (which I absolutely didn’t see coming) and the world building.

Equal parts sexy and intriguing, I found this to be a really well written, slightly darker spicy romance. Recommended.

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Bunny’s Special Treat by Wanda Violet O.

November 28, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Bunny’s Special Treat by Wanda Violet O.
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Holiday
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

His Bunny. His rules. One night of denial becomes a lifetime of surrender.

I never dreamed being Max’s Bunny would feel like this. Owned, protected, and utterly consumed by his desire shouldn’t be the enticement, but pleasing Max, submitting to him, fulfills something inside me I didn’t know I was missing. Every touch, every command, every whispered promise reminds me I belong to him. But belonging comes with its own exquisite torment.

Daddy Jacob’s masquerade promises a night of temptation and denial, where every glance burns hotter and every stolen touch leaves me trembling on the edge. I ache for release, but Max’s rules are absolute: I come only when he allows it. And tonight, he intends to push me further than I’ve ever gone before.

Surrounded by power, lust, and dangerous devotion, I have only one truth to hold on to. I’m Max’s Bunny. Always.

Max and his Bunny are enjoying a special night at Daddy Jacob’s masquerade. Even though the night is filled with friends, power and lust, Bunny knows Max’s rules come above all else. No matter the provocation or situation, she only comes when Max allows. Can Max and his Bunny enjoy this exquisite but tortuous evening together?

I enjoyed this brief but spicy Daddy Dom erotic short story. While I think I’ve read one of this series before – I haven’t followed along fully, and I still found the story spicy and enjoyable. I do think readers might feel a stronger connection to Bunny and Max and their friends if they’ve read the other books – but I found it certainly easy to pick this up pretty much by itself and still enjoy the proceedings.

Readers should be aware this spicy romance has multiple partners for Bunny, and the party is quite the enticing and exotic event. While there isn’t really much of a plot – I still found this an interesting and fun quick read. Absolutely have a cold drink on hand and I’d recommend not reading it anywhere public – Bunny is thoroughly put through her paces, and this isn’t the sort of book you want to be reading when others are around.

Short and sexy, this was a fun Halloween themed erotic story that should appeal to many BDSM readers.

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All Dressed Up by Ashlynn Monroe

November 27, 2025 By Leave a Comment


All Dressed Up by Ashlynn Monroe
Jack-O-Lanterns, Book 8
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Holiday, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Halloween isn’t just for trick-or-treating. Sometimes it’s about playing dress up. When Isaac’s wife brings home a friend on Halloween, he never expects them to show him just what his sex life has been missing or that demons are real. Will he be willing to share his wife with two demons?

Isaac and Suzy’s marriage had gone from strength to strength after they moved. Reconnecting in the bedroom they each had loved the injection of heat into their sexy antics. Isaac is somewhat disappointed, therefore, when he gets home on Halloween to discover Suzy is out collecting her good friend Roneka who had come over for an unexpected visit. Can Issac and Suzy be honest about what each of them want?

I found this to be a super spicy foursome romance. While Suzy and Ronnie have been friends for quite some time, neither had acted on their attraction. When Ronnie also brings fellow demon Renault the four of them virtually set the bedroom on fire. Readers should absolutely sit back, keep calm, and enjoy the ride.

I do feel readers should be aware that there is very little plot to this spicy short story, and I found each page thoroughly enjoyable. The chemistry between all four characters is sky high and I really didn’t mind they didn’t even leave the house for the duration of the story.

Readers looking for a smoking hot four-way Halloween orgy can’t go wrong with this spicy short story.

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Time Of Death by Mark Billingham

November 3, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Time Of Death by Mark Billingham
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Tom Thorne is on holiday with his girlfriend, DS Helen Weeks, when two girls are abducted in Helen’s hometown in Warwickshire. When a body is discovered and a man is arrested, Helen recognizes the suspect’s wife as an old school friend, and reluctantly returns home for the first time in twenty-five years to lend her support.

As his partner faces up to a past she has tried desperately to forget and a media storm engulfs the town, Thorne becomes convinced that, despite overwhelming evidence of his guilt, the police have got the wrong man. There is still an extremely clever killer on the loose—and a missing girl who Thorne believes might still be alive . . .

While this book is well into the DI Tom Thorne series I was intrigued to find that it’s a little different to many of the previous books in that Thorne and his partner, Helen, have decided to go away for a brief holiday over Valentine’s Day. Despite their intentions for some rest and well-earned alone time together, only a day into their break and Helen abruptly changes plans. A second missing teenage girl in Helen’s hometown has the husband of her childhood best friend being arrested. Wanting to support her old friend – even though it’s been decades since they’ve seen each other – Helen with Thorne in tow enter the fray of both Helen’s past and the small community.

In some respects, this has all the hallmarks of what I’ve come to expect from a DI Thorne story – an uncomfortable plotline and gripping, modern and gritty writing. But this book felt somewhat fresh with the different setting and Thorne trying – as much as he can – to very much remain on the outside. Professional curiosity of course has him taking an interest in the case but unlike virtually every other book I’ve read in this series he’s not trying to horn his way in or step on toes. I found that delightful and refreshing to read and was pleased that in some ways his character is definitely learning from (at least a few) of his past mistakes. Also, it was quite different to read a bit more about Helen’s past. While her character is certainly more open in many respects than Thorne’s is, it quickly becomes clear there are plenty of things in her past she really doesn’t want to share or discuss. I found that interesting, and I thought the way the author wove Helen’s past into the plot was both skillful and believable.

Readers looking for a cozy mystery or an easy read absolutely won’t find that here. Much like the rest of the series this is a gritty, slightly hard book and while it’s an excellent series and one I greatly enjoy I can well understand that it won’t be every reader’s cup of tea. Readers looking for something different or a bit more noir should absolutely check this author and series out. I also feel this book can certainly be read by itself, especially since much of the team and regular characters aren’t present since Thorne isn’t in London on their home turf, so readers wanting a more recent book without starting at the beginning might find this a good place to dip a toe in.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Headless Horseman by Marteeka Karland

October 23, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Headless Horseman by Marteeka Karland
Jack-O-Lanterns
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Holiday, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

One too many Flying Broomsticks and a phobia about Halloween aren’t the only thing chasing Isabelle Crane into the darkness. She’s got one very real-life family legend on her — err — tail.

Literally.

Anything can happen on Halloween.

This was the most creative instalment of the Jack-O-Lanterns series that I’ve read so far. I liked the way Ms. Karland used the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow to bring a few frights to this tale. It balanced out the steamier scenes nicely and made me wonder what could possibly happen next. While I’d recommend reading the original ghost story first to those who aren’t already aware of it, the plot is still perfectly understandable without that prior knowledge. It’s simply a nice bonus for those who are already familiar with it.

There were some plot holes involving Isabelle’s reactions to the Headless Horseman that I would have liked to see explained better as she behaved differently to him in nearly every scene. She changed her mind about him so often that I was never quite sure how she really felt, especially given the limited amount of time they had together. With more development in this area, I would have felt comfortable choosing a higher star rating.

The ending made me smile as I wondered if a sequel might be in the works. While I don’t know whether or not that will happen, there were hints dropped about the fates of the characters that made me hope it will. There’s nothing like a little foreshadowing to keep a reader interested, after all, and the author did leave space for many different possibilities in these characters’ futures.

The Headless Horseman was a fun take on a classic part of this time of the year.

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Cat Out of Hell by Isabella Jordan

October 21, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Cat Out of Hell by Isabella Jordan
Jack-O-Lanterns
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Holiday, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Joey has gone to Hell.

OK, so it’s not the real hell. It’s still an exciting hotbed of women and sex this Halloween night and that’s just what he’s looking for. When a beautiful blonde dressed as an angel catches his eye, he knows he has to have her and he’s willing to pay to make that happen. Yet, he senses something isn’t quite right here.

Katrina’s been kidnapped by an group of evil werewolves and now she’s being forced to sleep with a man for money. If she resists, they’ll kill her. Still, it could be worse. He’s gorgeous and makes her feel things she’s never felt before.

On top of all of this, when she’s done pleasuring this man, the wolves are coming for him. Will either of them get out alive?

Run faster if you want to survive.

Some of the most interesting scenes in my opinion were the ones that played around with the audience’s expectations of how certain characters should act or what might happen next. This is something I’m always happy to find in any genre of fiction, and it kept my interest levels high as I continued to read. Playing around tropes is a great way to make a storyline fresh and exciting.

It would have been helpful to have more plot development in this tale. I had some trouble understanding the rules of this universe and why, for example, Joey was able to travel freely while Katrina didn’t seem to be able to do the same thing. There were some other rules involving how characters behaved in a crisis that I also would have liked to have clarification on. With a few more paragraphs of exposition, this could have been easier to understand and would have encouraged me to choose a higher rating.

With that being said, I did enjoy how open-ended the final scene was. It left space for all sorts of possibilities for the characters which I thought was a good choice given how much danger they’d already faced and how much more they’d have to endure in the near future. There is definitely something to be said for allowing readers to come up with their own theories about what characters will do once the final sentence is written and the audience is no longer aware of anything.

Cat Out of Hell made me wonder what would happen next.

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