Caffeinated Crystal's book reviews

BRUISER was a damned delight. Trevor and Isaac are made for each other. Their chemistry is instant, and they are both so down bad for each other from the start. The cuckholding aspect of their relationship was interesting and it also seemed to work for them.  This book was hot from the beginning with all of Trevor's requests. And when the two of them were together? Perfection. The brattiness was perfect and Trevor always talking Isaac through it? H-O-T  Found family plays a big part of this story. Watching the pieces of Elite 8 fall into place was perfection. Bill! Jerome! I see you guys. I love that we get Bruiser's story at the end. Everything feels more Easter eggy, more like a gift. Trevor really was the most romantic. Isaac deserves the whole world. I absolutely loved these two!!!

Okay, the hype was real with this one, y'all. A Daddy for Cooper had a tremendous amount of heart, sweetness, and spice. • age gap • alpha/alpha • daddy dom/sub dynamics  • a heartbroken daddy • an earnest and sweetly perfect boy • fox shifters • grumpy/sunshine • lots of D/s talk, scenes, and dynamics  • a kink club • severe dyslexia  I was not prepared for how much I was going to love Cooper. NO ONE PREPARED ME. There were plenty of times I just wanted to grab Patrick by the shoulders and shake the shit out of him. When these two were on the same page they seemed made for each other. But when Patrick lashed out I was left heartbroken. Thank goodness for the HEA. If you're a fan of omegaverse, or kinky stories, this one may very well be for you. There is lots of ✨️Daddy✨️ Sir, asking for permission, rules, and sex toys. So... go off y'all. I loved book one of this series, the pining and the yearning were perfection. This story was a complete vibe shift and it was HOT. De...

One thing I didn't mention in my review of book 1, this series has some storylines and plot points that carry over into the next book. Like the ongoing fight between Hell's Ankhor & The Vipers. Book 2, Gunnar, is the romance between Raven (the son of Hell's Ankhor's founding fathers) and Gunnar (the sargent at arms) AND the mystery of who killed Ankh. • age gap • legacy member/Sgt at arms • hacker (programmer) • former Marine • PINING and unknown mutual pining • push/pull • secret softy Raven was downbad for Gunnar as a kid. The crush never went away, and when Raven comes home from college and then almost immediately after his father dies, Raven is thrust ass over teakettle into grief. One night pushes Gunnar even further away from Raven.  Gunnar isn't immune to the charms of Raven, but feels like he's too old and basically doesn't think he deserves Raven. Thinks that if he pushes Raven away that Raven will go find someone better. I loved Raven's int...

Here is one from the vault, y'all. BLADE is book one of the Hell's Ankhor series. I devoured this series years ago, and of course never reviewed them.  Hells Ankor is a motorcycle club & found family series. Each member gets their own HEA. • mc prez/nurse (& son of a rival mc's prez) • ✨️good boy✨️ • pushy do-gooders • found family • abusive & absent families • violence (not between mcs) • secrets • safety and falling in love Blade and Logan have a very understandable push and pull, but their chemistry wins out in the end. Setting up the series, introducing the villains (The Vipers), and giving the club president such a good "old man", really sets the stage for a great series. I really enjoyed coming back to this series and real talk, will probably start book 2 now. 4.25 ⭐️

Barbarian's Vow picks up right where book 2 ends. There's a lot more politics and secrets in this book as Jem tries to navigate forgiving Cador & also helping the people of Ergh. More betrayals lie in wait, but over time Cador's constancy and his groveling seems to push Jem over the edge into forgiveness. I love that we basically get to see Cador figure out that his husband is a bad ass and we get to see these two find their happily ever after. The setting in both books play wonderful side characters alongside all the other royals who may or may not have something sinister at hand. I was trusting no one but Cador! This duet is fantastic, especially if you're looking for a story more fantasy inclined. And real talk, I am usually pretty ANTI-forgiveness in stories... but I feel like Cador grew from his prejudice and became better in the end. These two were wonderful. 

Warning: this book absolutely ends on a cliffhanger. Be prepared to jump directly to book 2. Okay, with that being said: I LOVE THIS STORY. 5⭐️ for me. I was hanging on every word. Prince Jowan, Jem, is bartered into an arranged marriage to the Chieftain of Ergh's son Cador. The two men couldn't be more different. Where Jem is sweet and soft, Cador is a hunter... a barbarian. There were so many moments where Jem's innocence is heartbreaking & Cador's cruelty feels so extreme. There is a reason for all of it, but Jem breaks my heart. Perfect if you're looking for a book with stellar world-building and a game of thrones -esque vibe.  • age difference • size difference  • arranged marriage  • first times • world building • cliffhanger! • betrayal