Zhan
"Look at me." Ezra gestured at himself. "I don't look like a witch."
"You look great."
Ezra's eyes widened, and Rourke chuckled.
"You do. I love that you aren't covered in piercings and tattoos. I mean if you were--your body, your choice--but I'm glad you're not."
"It's a sign I'm weak."
Rourkle growled, though not with any real heat. "You're not weak."
"I'm weak. I couldn't curse you if my life dependend on it. I can't fight you. I can't challenge you. I can't win against you."
Ezra's voice rose with each word, and Rourke reached over and covered the hands he was wringing on his lap with his. "Shh. I will fight for you. I will win for you, and you won't ever have to fight against me because I'm your mate." He caressed him with his thumb. "Strength isn't about being able to cause harm, and everyone has a role to play."
Rourke, alpha wolf of the of the Flint pack, wants to end the war with the witches, so he asks for a witch mate in hopes to form an allience with the coven. To his surprise (but no complaints), he gets a male witch Ezra, but it's only after the mating is done that he finds out that the witches don't care about Ezra and, moreover, they don't plan to stop the fighting.
There were many things I liked in this book and some things that bothered me. The relationship between Rourke and Ezra starts with a dub-con. Rourke believes that Ezra volunteered to be his mate. while Ezra believes he has no choice. Rourke checks in with him a lot during their first time sleeping together, but Ezra doesn't even understand that he's allowed to object. When Rourke finds out that Ezra was forced into mating, he is angry (not at Ezra), but the deed is already done and they are tied together for life. He tries to stay away from Ezra as much as he can before the bond flares up, but this only results in Ezra misunderstanding him and being scared of him. So, Rourke is a bit of an ass at the beginning, but this is acknowledged later on.
There wasn't any impactful "falling in love". It's more about two people - strangers and technically enemies - who are trying to make their relationship work. At the beginning, Ezra isn't even Rourke's type - Rourke is into bold people who ask for what they want, while Ezra is very shy and reserved - and he dislikes witches, as well as their numerous piercings and tattooes. But he willingly made a sacrifice to mate a witch for the sake of his pack's safety. And, as mentioned above, Ezra thought he didn't have a choice in the mating. But there is no going back for neither of them, so once Rourke realizes what Ezra's gone through, he tries to amend it and become a good mate to him.
So, I was kinda uncomfortable reading when Rourke became all touchy with Ezra who is obviously traumatized and doesn't understand a lot of things, but I also understood that Rourke is trying to let the mate bond settle properly in order for Ezra to become stronger and be able to share Rourke's strength (their bond didn't settle properly because of Ezra's unwillingness to be mated and Rourke's distance right after the mating), as well as feel safe, loved and protected by his mate.
Certain parts were really uncomfortable to read, such as those where Rourke doesn't explain things and does something without asking clearly for Ezra's consent. Rourke just assumes that Ezra knows and that there's no need to explain such things, as he's not aware of what kind of life Ezra had in his coven and possibly doesn't understand the depth of his trauma. But for what it's worth, Rourke did try to improve whenever he messed up. It was imperfect and some things left a bad taste in my mouth, but it did feel realistically flawed.
I liked that Rourke never asked Ezra to take off his piercings despite not liking them, that's really cool. I hated that we were constantly reminded about how much he dislikes Ezra's piercings.
I liked the culture of witches and werewolf packs. That was so interesting and I wish I could've learned about them more. Also, those were scary witches that cackle and make that clawing motion with their fingers when they cast curses. That was really fun to read. I liked the pack and the found family vibe, how they all accepted and protected Ezra after realizing that he's not an evil witch.
I only wish that there was more comfort. It had such potential for good hurt/comfort, but there was little comfort in my opinion.
°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*General Notes*
-arranged mating, werewolf x outcast witch
-size difference (huge werewolf x tiny witch)
-CWs: abusive witch family, self-harm for the purpose of using blood magic
-MC with scars (Ezra), touch-starved MC (Ezra), traumatized MC (Ezra),
-Ezra is over 30; Rourke's age isn't specified.
*Intimacy Notes*
-Top/bottom/verse: <spoiler>strict; Ezra bottoms, Rourke tops.</spoiler>
-Kinks/sex notes: <spoiler>dub-con, biting, marking, penetration, BJs, fingering, nipple play (with piercings)... </spoiler>
-Other:
・only one bed
・little caretaking of a sick MC (Ezra)
・nicknames: honey, babe, darling, sweetheart, love...
・"you're mine" moments
・some possessiveness and protectiveness
・adopting a cat
・magic lacy oatmeal cookies
"Look at me." Ezra gestured at himself. "I don't look like a witch."
"You look great."
Ezra's eyes widened, and Rourke chuckled.
"You do. I love that you aren't covered in piercings and tattoos. I mean if you were--your body, your choice--but I'm glad you're not."
"It's a sign I'm weak."
Rourkle growled, though not with any real heat. "You're not weak."
"I'm weak. I couldn't curse you if my life dependend on it. I can't fight you. I can't challenge you. I can't win against you."
Ezra's voice rose with each word, and Rourke reached over and covered the hands he was wringing on his lap with his. "Shh. I will fight for you. I will win for you, and you won't ever have to fight against me because I'm your mate." He caressed him with his thumb. "Strength isn't about being able to cause harm, and everyone has a role to play."
Rourke, alpha wolf of the of the Flint pack, wants to end the war with the witches, so he asks for a witch mate in hopes to form an allience with the coven. To his surprise (but no complaints), he gets a male witch Ezra, but it's only after the mating is done that he finds out that the witches don't care about Ezra and, moreover, they don't plan to stop the fighting.
There were many things I liked in this book and some things that bothered me. The relationship between Rourke and Ezra starts with a dub-con. Rourke believes that Ezra volunteered to be his mate. while Ezra believes he has no choice. Rourke checks in with him a lot during their first time sleeping together, but Ezra doesn't even understand that he's allowed to object. When Rourke finds out that Ezra was forced into mating, he is angry (not at Ezra), but the deed is already done and they are tied together for life. He tries to stay away from Ezra as much as he can before the bond flares up, but this only results in Ezra misunderstanding him and being scared of him. So, Rourke is a bit of an ass at the beginning, but this is acknowledged later on.
There wasn't any impactful "falling in love". It's more about two people - strangers and technically enemies - who are trying to make their relationship work. At the beginning, Ezra isn't even Rourke's type - Rourke is into bold people who ask for what they want, while Ezra is very shy and reserved - and he dislikes witches, as well as their numerous piercings and tattooes. But he willingly made a sacrifice to mate a witch for the sake of his pack's safety. And, as mentioned above, Ezra thought he didn't have a choice in the mating. But there is no going back for neither of them, so once Rourke realizes what Ezra's gone through, he tries to amend it and become a good mate to him.
So, I was kinda uncomfortable reading when Rourke became all touchy with Ezra who is obviously traumatized and doesn't understand a lot of things, but I also understood that Rourke is trying to let the mate bond settle properly in order for Ezra to become stronger and be able to share Rourke's strength (their bond didn't settle properly because of Ezra's unwillingness to be mated and Rourke's distance right after the mating), as well as feel safe, loved and protected by his mate.
Certain parts were really uncomfortable to read, such as those where Rourke doesn't explain things and does something without asking clearly for Ezra's consent. Rourke just assumes that Ezra knows and that there's no need to explain such things, as he's not aware of what kind of life Ezra had in his coven and possibly doesn't understand the depth of his trauma. But for what it's worth, Rourke did try to improve whenever he messed up. It was imperfect and some things left a bad taste in my mouth, but it did feel realistically flawed.
I liked that Rourke never asked Ezra to take off his piercings despite not liking them, that's really cool. I hated that we were constantly reminded about how much he dislikes Ezra's piercings.
I liked the culture of witches and werewolf packs. That was so interesting and I wish I could've learned about them more. Also, those were scary witches that cackle and make that clawing motion with their fingers when they cast curses. That was really fun to read. I liked the pack and the found family vibe, how they all accepted and protected Ezra after realizing that he's not an evil witch.
I only wish that there was more comfort. It had such potential for good hurt/comfort, but there was little comfort in my opinion.
°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*General Notes*
-arranged mating, werewolf x outcast witch
-size difference (huge werewolf x tiny witch)
-CWs: abusive witch family, self-harm for the purpose of using blood magic
-MC with scars (Ezra), touch-starved MC (Ezra), traumatized MC (Ezra),
-Ezra is over 30; Rourke's age isn't specified.
*Intimacy Notes*
-Top/bottom/verse: <spoiler>strict; Ezra bottoms, Rourke tops.</spoiler>
-Kinks/sex notes: <spoiler>dub-con, biting, marking, penetration, BJs, fingering, nipple play (with piercings)... </spoiler>
-Other:
・only one bed
・little caretaking of a sick MC (Ezra)
・nicknames: honey, babe, darling, sweetheart, love...
・"you're mine" moments
・some possessiveness and protectiveness
・adopting a cat
・magic lacy oatmeal cookies
In Case of Emergency
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.
°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*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!
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.
°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*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!
I paused around 30%.
I just don't think I'm in the mood for it right now and I'm not sure when/if I'll come back to it.
The book starts with Jonah being on the run from a "ghost" and I was very intrigued by this. Then it shifts back to the past, where we get to learn about Jonah, then present, then past again, where we get to see how he met Dex, when Jonah was around 20 years old, then present, then past again and it continues with past for a while.
I was very invested in 'present' plot and kinda waiting for past flashbacks to be over so we could focus on that chasing we were introduced to at the beginning. But when the 'past' continued for a while, I checked and it turns out that the 'past' is the main story. Out of 54 chapters, only 12 are set in 'present' and the rest are all in the past. And the past is set in college, where Jonah and Dex were still young.
Nothing wrong with that, but I'm just not in the mood for the college story right now. Would've preferred if the 'present' was the main plot.
°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*General Notes*
-dark?
-MC with a limp
-not sure but MC might be slightly touch averse
-MC who smokes
-LI with tattoos, tongue piercing and Prince Albert piercing
-poverty
-CWs: neglectful parents, grief over death of sibling, suicidal thoughts
-MCs are around 20 years old
-Trans rep (Jonah's best friend Becca)
*Intimacy Notes*
-Top/bottom/verse: <spoiler> </spoiler>
-Kinks/sex notes: <spoiler> </spoiler>
-Other:
・note to myself: paused at the beginning of chapter 18 (Wildfire Meets Sea)
I paused around 30%.
I just don't think I'm in the mood for it right now and I'm not sure when/if I'll come back to it.
The book starts with Jonah being on the run from a "ghost" and I was very intrigued by this. Then it shifts back to the past, where we get to learn about Jonah, then present, then past again, where we get to see how he met Dex, when Jonah was around 20 years old, then present, then past again and it continues with past for a while.
I was very invested in 'present' plot and kinda waiting for past flashbacks to be over so we could focus on that chasing we were introduced to at the beginning. But when the 'past' continued for a while, I checked and it turns out that the 'past' is the main story. Out of 54 chapters, only 12 are set in 'present' and the rest are all in the past. And the past is set in college, where Jonah and Dex were still young.
Nothing wrong with that, but I'm just not in the mood for the college story right now. Would've preferred if the 'present' was the main plot.
°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*General Notes*
-dark?
-MC with a limp
-not sure but MC might be slightly touch averse
-MC who smokes
-LI with tattoos, tongue piercing and Prince Albert piercing
-poverty
-CWs: neglectful parents, grief over death of sibling, suicidal thoughts
-MCs are around 20 years old
-Trans rep (Jonah's best friend Becca)
*Intimacy Notes*
-Top/bottom/verse: <spoiler> </spoiler>
-Kinks/sex notes: <spoiler> </spoiler>
-Other:
・note to myself: paused at the beginning of chapter 18 (Wildfire Meets Sea)
I paused around 30%.
I just don't think I'm in the mood for it right now and I'm not sure when/if I'll come back to it.
The book starts with Jonah being on the run from a "ghost" and I was very intrigued by this. Then it shifts back to the past, where we get to learn about Jonah, then present, then past again, where we get to see how he met Dex, when Jonah was around 20 years old, then present, then past again and it continues with past for a while.
I was very invested in 'present' plot and kinda waiting for past flashbacks to be over so we could focus on that chasing we were introduced to at the beginning. But when the 'past' continued for a while, I checked and it turns out that the 'past' is the main story. Out of 54 chapters, only 12 are set in 'present' and the rest are all in the past. And the past is set in college, where Jonah and Dex were still young.
Nothing wrong with that, but I'm just not in the mood for the college story right now. Would've preferred if the 'present' was the main plot.
°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*General Notes*
-dark?
-MC with a limp
-not sure but MC might be slightly touch averse
-MC who smokes
-LI with tattoos, tongue piercing and Prince Albert piercing
-poverty
-CWs: neglectful parents, grief over death of sibling, suicidal thoughts
-MCs are around 20 years old
-Trans rep (Jonah's best friend Becca)
*Intimacy Notes*
-Top/bottom/verse: <spoiler> </spoiler>
-Kinks/sex notes: <spoiler> </spoiler>
-Other:
・note to myself: paused at the beginning of chapter 18 (Wildfire Meets Sea)
I paused around 30%.
I just don't think I'm in the mood for it right now and I'm not sure when/if I'll come back to it.
The book starts with Jonah being on the run from a "ghost" and I was very intrigued by this. Then it shifts back to the past, where we get to learn about Jonah, then present, then past again, where we get to see how he met Dex, when Jonah was around 20 years old, then present, then past again and it continues with past for a while.
I was very invested in 'present' plot and kinda waiting for past flashbacks to be over so we could focus on that chasing we were introduced to at the beginning. But when the 'past' continued for a while, I checked and it turns out that the 'past' is the main story. Out of 54 chapters, only 12 are set in 'present' and the rest are all in the past. And the past is set in college, where Jonah and Dex were still young.
Nothing wrong with that, but I'm just not in the mood for the college story right now. Would've preferred if the 'present' was the main plot.
°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*General Notes*
-dark?
-MC with a limp
-not sure but MC might be slightly touch averse
-MC who smokes
-LI with tattoos, tongue piercing and Prince Albert piercing
-poverty
-CWs: neglectful parents, grief over death of sibling, suicidal thoughts
-MCs are around 20 years old
-Trans rep (Jonah's best friend Becca)
*Intimacy Notes*
-Top/bottom/verse: <spoiler> </spoiler>
-Kinks/sex notes: <spoiler> </spoiler>
-Other:
・note to myself: paused at the beginning of chapter 18 (Wildfire Meets Sea)
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?”
⁀°•
⁀°•
⁀°•
⁀°•
⁀°•
General Notes
Intimacy Notes
strict on page; Morgan bottoms, Lynx tops.
dry humping, frotting, BJs, penetration, scenting, marking/biting...
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?”
⁀°•
⁀°•
⁀°•
⁀°•
⁀°•
General Notes
Intimacy Notes
strict on page; Morgan bottoms, Lynx tops.
dry humping, frotting, BJs, penetration, scenting, marking/biting...
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."
°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*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
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."
°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*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
Updated a reading goal:
Read 2 books by December 30, 2025
Progress so far: 53 / 2 2650%