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cluckieduck's reviews
298 reviews
Role Model by Rachel Reid
Dare I say that this may be my favourite of the entire series?! Troy & Harris are the absolute perfect grumpy/sunshine couple - they are absolutely adorable (about as adorable as Harris' c**k 😉) together!
I was interested to see how Troy was going to be handled, since his previous appearances in the series painted him as quite the jerk, but I loved how his arc unwrapped. His struggles with growing up in a toxic, misogynistic environment then transitioning into the safe and caring environment of the Ottawa team was very engaging. And Harris? My sweet baby - what an adorable little muffin of joy. Their relationship was much more of a slow-burn than other couples in the series, but it worked for them and made it all the more sincere and hotter when they did finally connect for some smexy times.
This book also benefits from the inclusion of the one-and-only Mr. Ilya Rozanov, current team captain of the Ottawa Centaurs. The snippets with him (and his new tattoo!!) were ever entertaining:
Bring on Book 6!
Book 1: Game Changer - ⭐⭐⭐
Book 2: Heated Rivalry - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 3: Tough Guy - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 4: Common Goal - ⭐⭐
Book 5: Role Model - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 6: The Long Game - TBD
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Troy sat silent, smiling as he continued to fall hard for the walking ray of sunshine he'd managed to snag for himself.
Dare I say that this may be my favourite of the entire series?! Troy & Harris are the absolute perfect grumpy/sunshine couple - they are absolutely adorable (about as adorable as Harris' c**k 😉) together!
I was interested to see how Troy was going to be handled, since his previous appearances in the series painted him as quite the jerk, but I loved how his arc unwrapped. His struggles with growing up in a toxic, misogynistic environment then transitioning into the safe and caring environment of the Ottawa team was very engaging. And Harris? My sweet baby - what an adorable little muffin of joy. Their relationship was much more of a slow-burn than other couples in the series, but it worked for them and made it all the more sincere and hotter when they did finally connect for some smexy times.
This book also benefits from the inclusion of the one-and-only Mr. Ilya Rozanov, current team captain of the Ottawa Centaurs. The snippets with him (and his new tattoo!!) were ever entertaining:
"I like him."
"I know. We all like Harris. But you want to kiss him."
Troy didn't bother denying it. "I won't. He deserves better, and there's probably a work conflict thing that makes it wrong."
"Yes. Maybe the social media guy will give you a Twitter advantage if you blow him."
Troy let out an uncharacteristic yelp of shocked laughter. "Oh my god."
"You will get all the good GIFs."
"Okay. Enough."
Bring on Book 6!
Book 1: Game Changer - ⭐⭐⭐
Book 2: Heated Rivalry - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 3: Tough Guy - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 4: Common Goal - ⭐⭐
Book 5: Role Model - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 6: The Long Game - TBD
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual assault and Toxic friendship
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Game Changer by Rachel Reid
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Holy sex-fest! Like, seriously…SO. MUCH. SEX. The story itself was cute, the tension surrounding the closeted/secret relationship was well done, and the ending was sugary sweet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Common Goal by Rachel Reid
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Definitely my least favourite of the series so far, which is a shame because there was a lot of potential here with the age-gap & setup with Kyle’s family abandonment issues. It just…never went anywhere meaningful.
It was nice to revisit the Admirals & all the NY side characters, including Scott, Kip, & Maria (plus a couple delightful cameos by one Ilya Rozanov), but the relationship between Eric & Kyle was so frustrating to read - so much could have been solved with a simple conversation! Instead we’re treated to frequent self-loathing and pages upon pages of internal dialogue by both mains. The lack of character development meant that I didn’t connect with, or care for, either lead, unfortunately.
It was nice to revisit the Admirals & all the NY side characters, including Scott, Kip, & Maria (plus a couple delightful cameos by one Ilya Rozanov), but the relationship between Eric & Kyle was so frustrating to read - so much could have been solved with a simple conversation! Instead we’re treated to frequent self-loathing and pages upon pages of internal dialogue by both mains. The lack of character development meant that I didn’t connect with, or care for, either lead, unfortunately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Dragon Actually by G.A. Aiken
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
Style of writing just wasn’t doing anything for me
Sinner by Sierra Simone
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well - I enjoyed this one 100X more than Priest! And it made me CRY, damn you...what kind of erotic romance book makes a gal cry?!
Major TWs not related to the main couple, but are a significant plot point:Mama Bell's terminal cancer diagnosis, her subsequent treatment/palliative care, ending with her death . Having this element really helped round out Sean's character development and seemed much more fulsome than Tyler's character arc in Priest.
Where I found Priest straight-up erotica, I felt there was a more nuanced approach to the 'romantic' elements with the relationship between Sean & Zenny. While it was still definitely an insta-love(lust) situation, incorporating the teacher/student helped cement their relationship for me.
Major TWs not related to the main couple, but are a significant plot point:
Where I found Priest straight-up erotica, I felt there was a more nuanced approach to the 'romantic' elements with the relationship between Sean & Zenny. While it was still definitely an insta-love(lust) situation, incorporating the teacher/student helped cement their relationship for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Racism and Classism
Priest by Sierra Simone
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Captivating? Yes. Good? Ehhh. The 1st-person narrative told entirely from the MMCs POV was an interesting take, but his internal monologue got a bit trying & cringy after a while.
Read it for the 'forbidden' smexy times, but don't expect much beyond that.
Read it for the 'forbidden' smexy times, but don't expect much beyond that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, Stalking, and Alcohol
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The hype lead me here, but all I can say is that I think this book was trying to hard to be something grand. A lot needs to be tightened up - it just kept going in circles, filled with redundancies rather than fleshing-out the characterization or world-building that was deeply needed. That being said, it was good enough that I'll continue with the series to see where it leads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Stalking, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Tough Guy by Rachel Reid
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I found the first half more enjoyable. The latter half felt a bit rushed and would have benefited from some fleshing out. It seemed spackled together to get to a quick HEA. This has been the quickest read of the series for me, so even just a few more chapters would have helped cement their relationship for me. Heated Rivalry is a hard act to follow, and this is almost like a palate cleanser.
That being said, the MCs were both great. Ryan, my anxious, burly bear - I have never related with a hockey player more. And the way Fabian approached Ryan’s anxiety and low self-confidence was lovely. It’s a very sweet story.
That being said, the MCs were both great. Ryan, my anxious, burly bear - I have never related with a hockey player more. And the way Fabian approached Ryan’s anxiety and low self-confidence was lovely. It’s a very sweet story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Suicide
Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
An interesting & exciting continuation of the Mercyverse as she faces new (& old) foes. Could have done with a lot less animal torture.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence and Fire/Fire injury
Her Big City Neighbor by Jackie Lau
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5⭐️ rounded up. Honesty first - this one didn't start out well and I felt like it could have gone to the DNF pile PDQ. Amy was a bit too quirky a FMC for my taste and she was beginning to grate.
Well...I am certainly glad I kept going because this is quite possibly one of the most real relationships I've read with very normal sex, which made me enjoy it so much more than some of the more 'fantastical' contemporary romances I've read! No 10" logs or tight channels here, but the realism just made it hotter for me.
Steam aside, the writing style was a bit clunky and simple for my taste. There were lots of smaller sentences and way too many '!!!'. I also found that the characters read a bit younger than their actual ages (I mean, MMC is pushing 40). I really liked the FMC - she wasn't a doormat and it was nice to see her evolve and stand up for herself in all aspects of her life. What started as grating quirky became endearing to me because she's done with all of life's BS.
Overall, a good, quick read.
Well...I am certainly glad I kept going because this is quite possibly one of the most real relationships I've read with very normal sex, which made me enjoy it so much more than some of the more 'fantastical' contemporary romances I've read! No 10" logs or tight channels here, but the realism just made it hotter for me.
Steam aside, the writing style was a bit clunky and simple for my taste. There were lots of smaller sentences and way too many '!!!'. I also found that the characters read a bit younger than their actual ages (I mean, MMC is pushing 40). I really liked the FMC - she wasn't a doormat and it was nice to see her evolve and stand up for herself in all aspects of her life. What started as grating quirky became endearing to me because she's done with all of life's BS.
Overall, a good, quick read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Car accident