Reaper And Ruin by Elle Thorpe

February 12, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Reaper And Ruin by Elle Thorpe
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

An explosion shatters the night. The three men I love are thrown from the bluff into the raging sea below.

And one of them can’t swim.

But the fall isn’t the only thing trying to kill us.

Every step we take, danger stalks closer.
Every breath we steal, the killer waits in the shadows.

When he rips someone I love away from me, the fragile family I’ve fought to build begins to unravel.

The killer has to be unmasked.
The ruin has to end.

Because this time, losing means more than death.

It means giving up the only people I can’t live without.

Violet and her three lovers are determined to find out who the killer tormenting them is. With all their lives in danger – as well as those around them who they each love – these killers are determined to go back to what they know. To being the predator and not the prey.

Readers should be aware that this book continues on immediately from the explosive ending of book 2. I would strongly recommend these three books are read in order (X’s and O’s – book 1 and then Whips and Chains – book 2). This is a complete trilogy and I don’t feel they can be easily read out of order. This book picks up exactly where the previous one ended on a cliff hanger and for that I was grateful.

I believe that this trilogy stands by itself quite well. There are absolutely hooks/links and characters that I’ve since learned are from Elle Thorpe’s other trilogy’s. This is the first (and currently only) set of her books that I’ve read and I’ve enjoyed them. I do feel that you don’t need to have read any other of the books set in this world because while a number of the characters cross over I don’t feel the other trilogy’s/group stories are necessary to thoroughly enjoy this set.

Readers should be aware of that one of the strong secondary characters in this book has absolutely been set up as a lure/hook into what I feel is likely the next trilogy. The final chapter of this book absolutely is a lure into the next series I feel. Readers who dislike final chapters/epilogues that lead into the next series might want to be cautious before reading the final chapter here.

I was very pleased with the way this series wrapped up. I feel it’s completed enough that most romance readers should be satisfied. The main mystery plot that arcs through all three of these books was very well wrapped up and I was quite happy with the mystery/killer aspect to the plotline. I thought there was also a very good balance between the spicy plotline of the foursome’s relationship and the mystery plotline. I thought the author did a good job with both these sides of the series and this book in particular.

I do also have a strong suspicion that (like with the throwbacks to other groups in this book) Violet, Levi, Whip and X might very well likely have some input in the next and other series so readers can get a glimpse of how things are progressing. For the most part I feel like their story, however, is quite well rounded out and left in a good place. I don’t feel there’s much to complain about here in that respect.

Readers should be aware there is a fair bit of spice in this book. I didn’t feel this book was very dark at all – certainly it didn’t feel as dark to me as the first book did and to a lesser extend the second book. This book felt a bit more like a very spicy mystery/romance and not so much a dark romance. This absolutely isn’t for the faint of heart nor the non-spicy reader, but I did feel some of the darker themes in the first book wasn’t as heavy or pronounced in this book. I absolutely think this is a good trilogy for readers who are new to dark romances and darker themes to dip a toe in and see if this genre is really for them or not.

With some seriously spicy sex and a good dose of darker mystery plot this was a trilogy I enjoyed. As my first foray into “Dark Romance” I found it was a good read for me and the new-to-me genre is a bit of a hit.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Whips And Chains by Elle Thorpe

February 9, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Whips And Chains by Elle Thorpe
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Three…Two…One… The game has just begun.

Shadows crawl across the walls of an abandoned warehouse.
A knife waits on the table. A clock bleeds away the seconds.
Someone isn’t leaving alive.

My only chance of survival lies with the three men searching for me in the dark.

I let my guard down with X, the funny psychopath who has been following me for weeks, claiming I’m his future wife…Until he put his fingers around my throat and the laughter died away. Now he’s convinced he’s going to kill me and I’m not entirely sure he’s wrong.

Whip is the sin I paid for. He was supposed to be a transaction—one night only. Instead, he took my firsts and left me craving seconds neither of us should want.

And Levi… the ex-prisoner who wrote me letters that stole my heart. But love doesn’t protect us from a killer who knows all our secrets.

As sins are exposed and lies unravel, one thing becomes apparent.

The game isn’t over.
And the rules are written in blood.

Violet had been lured into a warehouse where a crazed killer is determined she and the others captured within won’t leave alive. With her three lovers searching for her Violet is understandably terrified. Can her life ever return back to normal?

Readers should be aware that this book continues on immediately from the ending of the previous book (X’s and O’s – book 1) and this book should be read only after the first. A reader picking this up without the previous one might not easily understand what’s going on. That said since the previous book ended on a cliff hanger, it was a relief that the author immediately jumped back into the main events.

I also enjoyed that there was quite a bit of character progression in this middle story. The three main male characters as well as Violet (as the main female character) all had a lot on their plate and seeing them grow and handle it was really good. There was also a lot of development in their foursome relationship – and of course a ton of steamy sex as well. The author had a good balance here between romantic progression and movement in the mystery plot, but the level of spice might not suit everyone’s taste. Also, similar to the first book, I did find some of the conflict a little frustrating due to poor communication and characters getting annoyed or frustrated with each other and acting on impulse instead of sitting and thinking – or talking things through. Violet and the male main characters appear to me to have a tendency to read between the lines and get upset – instead of clearly communicating or discussing stuff they find hurtful. While the conflict this produces and plot movement is understandable it rather annoyed me as a reader.

Readers should be aware that the M/M aspects between Levi and Whip absolutely progress and while there’s still some tension and conflict between them, their arc – along with the foursome arc and Violet’s individual relationship with X, Levi and Whip all have some solid movement for this second book. I greatly enjoyed the same humorous tone this book had – similar to book 1 – and while it wasn’t as front and center as the first book, I did appreciate how the more humorous moments really helped make some of the darker themes more palatable and less heavy. I really enjoyed this. The mystery/killer plotline ramped up in this book and so this wasn’t as lighthearted as the first book, but for a “dark, spicy romance”, this wasn’t bleak or too negative.

There is absolutely a mystery part to the plot and while it definitely takes a back seat to the Whip/Levi/X/Violet relationship, it was well written and strong enough to really help carry the story. I was pleased the plot helped keep the book feeling like it was moving forward and not being clogged up with the foursome relationship. Readers should know that the three male characters tend to fight with each other. I do find this mostly understandable – particularly with the foursome not fully formed and with there still being questions as they all settle into the relationship, but I’m not sure I’ll be as open to the ongoing feuding, arguments and frustrations in the third and final book. I’m kinda hoping this gets sorted out pretty quickly – but they’re absolutely not there yet which is a little disappointing. Also – exactly the same as the first book this one also finishes on a massive cliff hanger and while I was mostly expecting this given the first book’s ending, I was annoyed by this – but fully prepared and had already purchased the third and final book. So, I could move immediately on to it the second I finished the final page of this book. I strongly recommend readers who hate cliff hangers treat this trilogy as one book split into three sections and only begin the first when they’re prepared to binge all three.

This is a well-written and mostly humorous polyamorous spicy romance novel. There are definitely dark themes but with the lighter tone and banter between the characters, this an enjoyable book within this trilogy.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

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.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

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.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter by Brionni Nwosu

November 12, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter by Brionni Nwosu
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Paranormal, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Most humans cower in the face of Death. Not Nella May Carter. She sees him. She doesn’t hide. Instead, she bargains.

Born enslaved in eighteenth-century Georgia, Nella still believes in the will to survive amid the most untenable of conditions, in the glory of life, and in the ultimate goodness of the human race. She asks that Death, doubtful and curious, allow her to live long enough to prove it. He’s giving Nella all the time in the world.

Challenged, Nella embarks on an epic journey across the globe and centuries. Each new incarnation records the joys and losses, and the friendships and heartbreaks, throughout her lifetimes. When she meets handsome and passionate professor Sebastian Moore―the first man to whom she has ever revealed her secrets―Nella yearns for the mortality that escapes her. She can’t bear to leave this love behind.

As Death keeps watch, has Nella’s journey come to an end? Or is a new one just beginning?

Love is eternal.

Some of my favourite passages in this book were the ones that debated the true nature of humanity and whether our collective good deeds make up for the horrific things we’ve done to one another throughout the generations. While I tended to agree more with Nella, both protagonists made intelligent points with their arguments, and it was quite interesting to see them go back and forth with evidence for their positions. This is something I’m saying as a reader who generally shies away from philosophical works. Ms. Nwosu did a wonderful job of blending philosophy into an exciting story in ways that made those scenes feel natural and encouraged me to think critically about every argument that was made and refuted.

I would have preferred to see stronger world building in this novel. Some of the settings were easy to visualize, especially the first one in 1774 as well as Nella’s experiences during World War II, but other ones like France didn’t include enough descriptions for me to easily imagine what the main character’s life was like there. Had this been included, a five-star rating would have been a strong possibility from me!

The complex relationship between Nella and Death made it difficult for me to stop reading. It was delightful to see how her reactions to him evolved over the centuries as she grew accustomed to her immortality and began to question some of the rules that Death had put into place about what she could and couldn’t do during her quest. Without sharing too many spoilers, these developments made the last hundred pages or so incredibly rewarding for me as a reader.

The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter was beautiful.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Raven by Will Okati

October 20, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Raven by Will Okati
Jack-O-Lanterns
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Holiday, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

On All Hallows’ Eve, when spirits walk the earth, Leonard goes to Andrew for their yearly tryst. The lovers spend all their time waiting for their one chance to be together and seize it with both hands.

One night is never enough time.

I loved the character development in this piece. Leonard and Andrew were only able to share a small portion of their lives together for reasons that were explained later on in this tale, but the limited amount of time they could have together was described in detail and told me everything I needed to know about their personalities as well as the special connection between them. A little goes a long way sometimes.

The loving relationship between these characters only made their one annual night together even hotter. There was so much time to build up their emotional and sexual longing for one another that it was impossible to resist each other once Halloween arrived yet again. Honestly, I’m hoping for both a prequel and a sequel to this in order to get to know these characters even better, although of course I have no idea if such things are in the works behind the scenes.

It was only when I read the last few paragraphs that I realized there was another possible interpretation to this tale. Obviously, other readers should discover that for themselves and make up their own minds about which way the ending should be interpreted but having that twist was what convinced me to go for a full five-star rating due to how much depth it added to the storyline. Bravo for ending on such a high note, Mr. Okati! Raven was the perfect erotic read for Halloween.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Movie Review: Gunyo Cholo: The Dress

October 13, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Gunyo Cholo: The Dress
Writers: Samudra Bhatta, Najir Husen, V. Vansay Zanubon
Director: Samudra Bhatta
Starring: Ip Acharya, Nisha Bajhgain, Prasamsha Bhatta
Publisher: Anupheap Productions, Sabsung Studios, Sky Ocean Entertainment
Genre: LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars (10 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

Dev/Gulabi, the only son of a retired Army General, is disowned for wanting to transition. Fleeing her village for Kathmandu, she finds belonging in the trans community and fights for acceptance in a hostile society.

Acceptance is everything.

I was mesmerized by the early experiences in a rural and sometimes intolerant community that shaped Dev (who later changed her name to Gulabi) into the woman she became. Few things in life are completely harmful or helpful, so I appreciated the quiet, happy moments with the family that were included between scenes that showed how her first explorations of her gender identity were misunderstood and feared.

What the love of a family can look like was another theme that was heavily explored in this film. Whether with biological relatives, chosen relatives, or some combination of the two, everyone has occasional disagreements with the people they consider to be kin along with the happy moments they also shared. There were times when I blinked away tears as Gulabi faced disappointment in these relationships and other scenes where I quietly cheered as she found new ways to balance her responsibilities to both herself and to those she deeply loved.

The ending was ultimately what convinced me to choose a perfect rating. It wove all of the themes together perfectly while also resolving the major conflicts in both realistic and heartwarming ways. Obviously, I can’t go into too much detail about what happens in those scenes, but I wouldn’t have changed a single moment in them. They showcased the personalities of all of the characters nicely and gave this viewer a chance to say goodbye and feel satisfied with what I had just seen.

Gunyo Cholo: The Dress was a beautiful and emotional tale.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review, Television Show Tagged With: , , ,

Sabrina Tells Maddie the Truth About Her Past by George Bachman

October 7, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Sabrina Tells Maddie the Truth About Her Past by George Bachman
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Drawn back to the ruins of the house she nearly burned down a year ago to escape her imprisonment and torture at the hands of a madwoman, Sabrina watches the apocalypse approach. Beings of immense power are trying to force their way into our world to devour it, and her mysterious destiny tasks her with stopping them here. Her companion, Maddie, interrogates her incessantly as she performs ancient magic to keep them back.

Sabrina recounts how escape led her to St. Andrew’s Academy for immortals, and she discovered her true nature as a being with special powers that make her the target of eldritch forces beyond comprehension and others who would possess her at all costs.

When Maddie’s questions gradually reveal she may have secrets as terrifying as Sabrina’s, Sabrina faces a choice whether to remain in the dark world of immortals as our protector or pursue the normal life she cherishes and risk leaving humanity to its fate.

Being irresistible isn’t always a positive thing.

I loved the fact that this was written mostly from the perspective of a couple texting each other about the very odd things that were currently going on in their lives. It was a creative way for the characters to tell their story after the fact and for the investigators looking into their disappearances to have access to all sorts of information that would not normally be available when all of the witnesses are gone. Kudos to Mr. Bachman for experimenting with the horror and fantasy genres in this manner as it was definitely out of the ordinary in a good way.

The plot was sometimes difficult to follow due to how seldomly Sabrina and Maddie explained what was going on. Obviously, they were pressed for time and couldn’t tell readers everything, but I would have happily chosen a higher rating if at least some of the unfamiliar words and phrases they used to describe various supernatural beings were given more context clues so that fans could make educated guesses about what they were referring to.

Knowing when and how often to share gory details can be a tricky thing, but the author made it seem easy. Yes, this was firmly and bloodily rooted in the horror genre, but the scariest scenes were paced out nicely and always had intelligent reasons for their inclusion. That’s exactly what I prefer to find in this genre, and it kept me reading no matter what else was happening in the story or in my real life. There’s definitely something to be said for being so absorbed by a plot!

Sabrina Tells Maddie the Truth About Her Past made me shudder.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Widow Fantasies by Hollay Ghadery

September 18, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Widow Fantasies by Hollay Ghadery
Publisher: Gordon Hill Press
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Poetry
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Fantasies are places we briefly visit; we can’t live there. The stories in Widow Fantasies deftly explore the subjugation of women through the often subversive act of fantasizing. From a variety of perspectives, through a symphony of voices, Widow Fantasies immerses the reader in the domestic rural gothic, offering up unforgettable stories from the shadowed lives of girls and women.

Life is filled with shades of grey.

“Jaws” explored the warm, loving friendship between a lonely woman and her goldfish. There aren’t enough tales out there about this type of pet, so I was immediately intrigued. I enjoyed learning about how they grew so close and why the woman’s husband was jealous of that bond. This could have easily been expanded into a novella or full length novel, and yet I was still satisfied with how it was written and what the characters chose to reveal about their lives.

Some of the stories in this collection had endings that were too abrupt for my tastes, especially since I only had a few pages on average with each one. When combined with the subtle messages in some cases, it was tricky for me at times to connect with the characters and their conflicts. As much as I wanted to choose a higher rating, these issues were an obstacle in my path to do so. “Widow Fantasies,” which captured a moment on a farm that changed the lives of everyone who lived there, was one such example of this. I needed a few more pages of exposition to understand what was going on with Leyla and Georgette on that unforgettable day.

Using a kayak in a ditch after it floods with melted snow from the entire winter was never something I’ve considered doing, so I was curious to see how this game would work out for Cassie in “Ditch Run.” She planned it all out so thoroughly that I was surprised by how her ride actually unfolded for her. What an adventure! It would make an excellent addition to a scrapbook.

Widow Fantasies was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Party Animal by Gale Stanley

September 3, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Party Animal by Gale Stanley
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Casey can get just about any man he wants, except for the one he wants the most.

Casey Cox is a porn star legend. Life is a never-ending party and there’s always a hot guy or two willing to play. Then Casey meets the one man who isn’t interested and suddenly it’s a challenge he can’t resist.

Casey’s life is one big party – as a porn star he can have any man he wants and there’s always a few willing participants. But then he meets the one man who isn’t interested in some fun and games and the challenge is more than Casey can resist.

I found this to be a fun and lighthearted short story. A quick read, there is plenty of steamy sex, but readers should be aware that Casey and Lee don’t hit it off right at the start. Personally, I was pleased that Lee didn’t fall over himself to get into bed with Casey – much as virtually every other character did – and so that tension and discord between the two men made for some good chemistry.

Being honest I’m not sure I’d have liked Casey too much if he’d been a secondary character in a different couple’s story. While I enjoyed his lightheartedness and it was clear he had feelings beneath his carefree, playboy, pornstar exterior the fact he so frequently judged and made assumptions about Lee didn’t always sit well with me. Casey came across a little to me like anyone who had seriously different views – like Lee’s wanting to feel a connection and butterflies before having sex and not wanting to jump directly into bed after meeting for the first time and so forth – was wrong or a stick in the mud. In some respects, Casey struck me as a little obnoxious and while that was certainly interesting from a reading perspective, I’m not certain all readers will find him as a relatable or enjoyable character.

That said it was quite clear that Casey really did want connections – with his sister as well as his solid and lasting friendship with both Paul and Joey is proof of that. And while Casey could be a bit of a pain, I do feel the changes Lee brought out in him and made him look into himself we a real pleasure to read about.

Readers looking for a slightly different and interesting take on the “playboy can have everyone except the one he wants” style of story should give this quick read a shot. I really enjoyed it.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »