Trope
The Rajes, #4
Reviews of The Rajes, Book #1, Book #2, and Book #3
Heat Factor: They have a lot of sex, but it’s almost entirely fade to black.
Character Chemistry: They critique each other out of love.
Plot: They’re working together to make the world a better place, but their families would have a conniption if they dated.
Overall: A nice finish to a solid series.
Heat Factor: The moments when they connect are really special, but it doesn’t happen often
Character Chemistry: Gennady’s a bit of a cynic, and Daniel just can’t help falling in love
Plot: Wise Spies – they both know very well the games their governments are playing, and that connection forges unexpectedly deep trusts that carry through years and separations
Overall: Oof. Wow. How can I read another book now?
Game Changers, Book #6
Review of Game Changers: Book #1, Book #2, Book #4, Book #5
Heat Factor: It’s sexy (like the rest of the series), but unlike in Heated Rivalry, most of the sex is at home, so it’s heavy on their emotional connection this time, and less about the tittilation of sexual awakening and sneaking around
Character Chemistry: Shane likes to be *rewarded* (wink) for the discipline of never letting on that he’s in love with Ilya, while all Ilya wants is affection
Plot: Shane and Ilya have been secretly in a monogamous relationship for three years, and it was all going fine…until a confluence of components of Ilya’s life make it not so fine anymore
Overall: A relationship in trouble in which both parties really want to make it work, but are fearful that they won’t be able to
Heat Factor: They have a lot of sex. And it’s good sex.
Character Chemistry: Really awesome friends to lovers energy.
Plot: Closeted baseball player kisses his widowed best friend, kicking off a series of events that leads to Max’s bi-awakening and Jack’s outing.
Overall: This had a great skeleton (see above). I’m really sad that it apparently didn’t also have a sensitivity read because it also had a lot of problematic content.
Trade Season, Book #1
Heat Factor: Centers on the emotional tension growing, not on the sex (which was so tender)
Character Chemistry: I was on tenterhooks
Plot: Olly has a lot of trauma to deal with and Benji is a little bit clueless but extremely supportive
Overall: Uff da, what a tearjerker!
The Smut Report 