Zhan

This was so damn good.

I liked it so much that I'm struggling to put it into words. Usually, I take a lot of notes as I read, but I swallowed this up without taking a moment to note down anything ahaha.

Characters are so complex and interesting. Both Stephen and Lucien had some unexpected sides that amazed me. Stephen, despite his small figure, is far from helpless. And Lucien, a Shanghai dock rat, as he called himself. And I love his loyal and protective manservant/henchman Marrick too.

The dialogue was so engaging. The characters are so witty and a little snappy and I loved it. The mystery and plot are a bit dark, but interesting. The focus is definitely on the mystery, but there is romance, lots of tension between the characters throughout the story and the intimate scenes were so hot.

I gotta say this, but almost to the very end, I was so convinced that Graham is behind everything. And I was totally wrong lmao.

Amazing read, I recommend it 100%.

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General Notes
-animosity to lovers, height/size difference, magician MC, earl LI...

Intimacy Notes
-Top/bottom/verse: strict; Lucien tops and Stephen bottoms.
-Kinks: soft D/s, (somewhat?) rough play...
-Other: //

This is a heated enemies-to-lovers story that covers a period of around 8 years (possibly more, I didn't keep track of the time skips) in which our two hockey players are secretly hooking up.

So, I've watched four episodes of the TV show Heated Rivalry that's currently airing, and I think that's what helped me set my expectations right about what kind of story this is. If I went into this story blind - and especially after hearing so much praise - I think I'd be a little disappointed.

This books is very heavy on sex (you're warned!) and the connection between our main characters, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, is built mostly during the brief moments they share when they meet up for sex. Months pass before they meet each other again - again, only for a hookup - without getting involved in each other's life beyond that, and they keep at it for years until they realize that their attraction has turned into something deeper.

I did enjoy this (thus my high rating), but I do want to complain about them developing feelings without getting to know each other as a person. The thing is, I think they fit really well together, but while we, as readers, get to know both Shane and Ilya outside of their steamy meetings, the two of them don't. So, when they revealed their feelings for each other, I found it a little hard to believe it considering that they were basically just starting to get to know each other on personal level. Not a big issue, I still had lots of fun reading it, but oh well.

I really liked Ilya. Such unique character and I found it easy to connect to him. Despite playing in a famous hockey team and having a reputation of a playful carefree guy, behind all that snark, he actually carries a lot of pain inside. His culture is quite close to mine and many parts of it are so (painfully) familiar to me, so I want to say that I think Reid did a really good job at portraying those struggles he faced.

Shane's serious personality makes a balancing contrast to Ilya's playful one, but I found him a little bland at times. This is definitely a me issue, because I seem to connect easier to characters who carry some heavy pain from the past. Shane is a famous, rich guy who never has to think about money (at some point, he even buys a whole building, he has his own secluded cottage, has built his own private hockey rink beside that cottage etc). One of the best players, invited to all places, wanted on front pages of all blogs/magazines idk. Can have any girl he want, but he's not interested. Has a supportive family who fully accepts him. His best friend is Hayden, but I really didn't feel that friendship. I feel like there wasn't much to see of Shane beside his love for hockey and his obsessive thoughts about that one hot Russian player.

It's a me thing, I said. I would've liked it more if he had more hardships - like, if he's rich and famous, but his family is not supportive. Or he is rich and has supportive family, but he's not considered particularly attractive, or he avoids cameras because he's so anxious, or anything.

I kinda expected some big catastrophe to happen near the end, but it didn't and I was really happy for that. I liked how they came together and I'd probably check out The Long Game in the future.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend for a steamy sport rivals (not really enemies) to lovers romance.

"And when I retire," Ilya said, "after I have won twelve Stanley Cups and thirteen MVP awards—"

"The hell you will."

"And you have been retired for, like, eight years already because you got very bad at hockey..."

Shane laughed. "Okay."

"Then I will bring you to that dock out there. I will have hundreds of candles all over it..."

"That sounds like a fire hazard."

"Is on the water, Hollander. Fucking relax. Will be beautiful, you will love it. The candles. The lake. The full moon."

"Oh, is it a clear night?"

"Yes. Of course. And I will get on one knee—"

"Ilya—"

"And I will say, 'Shane Hollander, will you please marry me so I can become Canadian citizen faster?'"

God, were they really going to be able to keep this a secret until they were retired? Now that they were both honest about what they were to each other, Ilya feared it might be impossible to hide their relationship from the world.

Especially when Shane looked at him like he was looking at him right now - like Ilya was worth all this trouble. Like he was worth loving.

"I want to tell everyone," Ilya said. "Right now."

Shane's eyes went wide with panic. "No! Don't. We have to stick to the plan."

Ilya sighed dramatically. "You and your plans. What if I just kissed you on the mouth at the next All-Star-Game?"

"I'll punch you, I swear to god."

"You wouldn't. Not if I kissed you like this."

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*General Notes*

-rivals to enemies, hockey players

-size difference

-Ilya is around a month or a little less younger than Shane (by the end of the book, they're around 26 years old) - you know what, why wasn't there a single scene of them spending their birthday (either together or with other people) in the whole span of 8 years that this book covers?

*Intimacy Notes*

-Top/bottom/verse: <spoiler>strict; Shane bottoms, Ilya tops.</spoiler>

-Kinks/sex notes: <spoiler>BJs, handjobs, Shane likes being pinned down, frotting, coming untouched, masturbating while being watched, spitting in hand as a lube, rough sex, video call sex, rimming, begging, receiving blowjob while on a phone call, edging, sex out in the open (on a dock), dry humping...</spoiler>

-Other:

・Ilya is a little possessive

・Ilya's got big hands

・Consent

・It's tagged with "praise kink", but where was it? I absolutely love praise kink, but there was just one brief scene where Ilya praises Shane for being a good hockey player and that's it.

・nicknames: sweetheart

He stands and sets a hand at the base of my throat, fingers splayed like he needs to cover as much skin as he can. Then he tilts my head to the side and runs his nose up the side of my throat, before resting his head on my shoulder.
I have the strongest urge to wrap my arms around him.
So I do.
He sags against me like someone cut his strings. I grunt under the sudden weight of him, but hold tight when he tries to pull back. "Stay," I whisper, surprised when he does.
I close my eyes, and his outdoor, woodsy scent fills my nose.

Lynx is a shifter and an alpha who will do anything to protect his pack and his MC club, even if that means keeping distance from his human mate, Morgan. After his dad lost their house in a bet, Morgan ends up homeless and feeling lost. He goes to the local gang, Wild Wolves MC, in hopes of being allowed to join and finally have a place to belong. Lynx dismisses him rather harshly, believing that he's doing what's best for Morgan and his pack, but pushing his mate away only put Morgan in danger. Now Lynx needs to figure out how to keep both his mate and his pack safe.


Like Morgan, I wanted to smack Lynx for all the mixed signals he was constantly giving. And I guess it would've been nice if there was more groveling and if Morgan didn't forgive Lynx so easily. But then again, even though I was frustrated by some of the decisions characters made throughout the story, all of that only made them feel real and flawed in a way that all humans tend to be.


I love the way this author writes shifters. The behavior, pack mentality, protectiveness and possessiveness, scenting, marking... It's got all the things I want in shifter books. There's overarching plot, so we're probably going to get some loose ends tied in the next couple of books.

I sit forward, and look around the table, meeting everyone's gaze in turn. "So, hear me out first," I start, and Cal groans. Flint laughs and Mal just covers his eyes. It makes me smile, and my wolf settles, because I know in that moment that they'll have my back no matter what.

The next book focuses on Callum and Ash, but damn it, I can't wait for Jet and Grey's book. I'm so excited for their story!

When the snarls subside, he walks around the table and sets the knife in front of Jet. “Thank you.” He goes to step away, but Jet grabs his hand.
Grey winces like it hurts.
Jet's low growl fills the room as he gently pushes back Grey's sleeve, revealing deep bruises around his wrist. They look too new to be from what happened at the fight ring. “Who the fuck did this?”

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General Notes

Intimacy Notes

strict on page; Morgan bottoms, Lynx tops.

dry humping, frotting, BJs, penetration, scenting, marking/biting...

Sweet little story with some action and angst.

Rowan and Atlas are two space explorers who, throughout the years of working together, became sort of rivals/best friends who never saw each other's faces. They piloted separate spaceships, with Rowan looking for minerals from other planets to bring back for humans to use, and Atlas was there to determine if those planets held life. The story begins with them exploring yet another planet together, when something unexpected happens.

I would've loved if it was turned into a longer book. It's got such a great set up for a sweet, slow build-up and some pining. I wish we could've seen more of their friendship/situationship and how they grew to care for each other. The fact that Atlas has been following Rowan on his missions so that they didn't grow old separately is so damn sweet.

I liked their personalities too. Rowan is brave and good at keeping calm when needed, but he's also submissive and yearning for someone to speak to him in a gentle, commanding tone. Atlas is passionate, dominant, but with occasional moments of shyness that I loved so much.

Their intimate scenes were nicely written. I'd call it ‘love-making' rather than ‘having sex', because it was so passionate and you can feel their deep connection, despite not seeing on-page (as it's a short story) how they came to mean so much to each other.

This story had more angst than I expected and that's one of my complaints, because once you reach the angsty part, it kinda doesn't let up until the very end (but it does have HEA). This is more of a personal preference, but in general I want more “soothing/loving/calm” scenes in my books after MCs go through so much (especially life-death situations).

I recommend it for a angsty-but-sweet short read!

“Shit,” Atlas shouted as Rowan's rover burst through the lower stratosphere. “Hurry up. Come on, baby.”
Rowan's brain backfired a little at Atlas's crooning tone. Encouragement wouldn't make a robot go faster. Rowan, on the other hand, would do almost anything for someone who spoke to him like that.

Flirting was a regular occurrence. For Atlas, it was probably just a way to pass the time. For Rowan, it as the difference between a good day and a shitty one.
He didn't want to admit how much he relied on Atlas to make him feel safe out here.

“There's nothing convenient about you. You're the most important thing in my pathetic life. Why do you think I follow you on every single one of your missions? I can't stand the thought of time passing without you. You're the only constant in my life, and I can't lose you.

“Follow me,” Atlas said.
Rowan did as he was told. He wanted to be good for Atlas. Desperately.

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General Notes

(the MC who attempts it is not in the right state of mind)

Intimacy Notes

strict on-page; Atlas tops, Rowan bottoms.

interstellar phone sex (basically masturbating together over intercoms), BJ, masturbating while being watched, (slight?) daddy kink (just use of "baby" and "daddy"), finger sucking, praise(❤️!!!), edging
-Other://

When Daniel looked at him with a tiny smile tugging at his lips and a dark curl hanging over his forehead, Cole thought his heart might swell too big for his body and explode. As a kid, he'd been in love with Daniel yet hadn't really known him. Or known what love really was. Maybe he still didn't, but his gut told him this was it.

A sweet, low-angst holiday story about two former step brothers who haven't seen each other for 10 years. They reunite when Cole has an accident and ends up with a concussion and a broken hand. The hospital calls Daniel, because Cole has put him as his emergency contact and he doesn't have anyone else to take care of him.

I enjoyed it, but - and this is totally a me thing - I wish there was more hurt/comfort part, because I feel like this story had so much potential for it, but it fell short. It's still a sweet, feel-good holiday story. And my first holiday romance too.

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*General Notes*

-Christmas, former step-brothers, age gap (Cole is around 23, not sure about Daniel, but he's at least a couple of years older than Cole)

-height difference; Daniel is 6'1'' (and a former hockey player) and Cole is 5'6''.

-Demi-awakening (Daniel)

*Intimacy Notes*

-Top/bottom/verse: <spoiler>verse, with Cole being a bossy bottom</spoiler>

-Kinks/sex notes: <spoiler>frotting in a bathtub, hot-dogging, BJs, rimming, spitting (in a hole - not as a lube), coming untouched, a hint at praise and begging...</spoiler>

-Other:

・little protectiveness from Daniel's side, but not nearly as much as I hoped for.

・both Daniel and Cole are Star Wars fans!