Dudes! The books I read from July through December made it incredibly difficult to narrow them down to just 5 favorites. I know, every reader faces these problems, but do you ever wanna say- forget this- then change it to your top 8. Or maybe your top 5 plus 3. I’m always looking for a loophole because sometimes I don’t want to narrow it down. I encountered that issue with this list but told myself to suck it up and narrow it down. Ugh! I can be so mean to me sometimes! After a whole lot of back and forth, I narrowed the list to 5. Without further ado and in no particular order, I give you my top 5 from July through December 2025.
Thomas Mulvaney was just a child when an error in judgment cost him everything. He vowed then that he would do anything to atone for his mistake. And he did. He never strayed from the right path. Until Aiden.
Aiden Mulvaney doesn’t exist. He’s a lie created by the father who disowned him and by Thomas Mulvaney, the only man Aiden had ever begged to love him. But that was years ago, when he’d still believed in fairytales. Before Thomas rejected him.
Thomas has spent years trying to have Aiden in his life while keeping him at arm’s length, but Aiden’s done with half-measures. He’s done with Thomas the martyr. He’s just done. So, he’s kept his distance. Trouble is, now, someone is threatening to expose a secret that affects them all.
No, not that one. A secret so shameful, Thomas won’t even utter it out loud. Can he and Aiden revisit the past and keep the family name intact, or will they both be buried beneath the weight of their memories as their old feelings resurface?
When I started this series it was complete so it is not as if I had to wait for books to release. However, once it was alluded there was something between Thomas and Aiden, I could not wait to get to their story. It felt like it took me for-ev-er to get to them but it was so worth the wait. Don’t get me wrong, I loved getting to know everyone else but my anticipation for this forbidden-ish romance was off the charts and I would like to say that Ms James did not disappoint in the delivery. Maniac was a sinfully sexy slow burn. Thomas and Aiden had an undeniable chemistry and I anticipated the moment they either self destructed or opened their eyes and realized they were IT for one another.
These 2 were stubborn, Thomas especially. I get his delima but still it was no excuse for some of his actions over the past 2 decades. I saw things from both sides and my heart ached for both men but Aiden was the one I was “siding” with in the beginning.
I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this family of vigilante killers. They each have something that makes them special. And each of their, eh, talents makes every single one of them an integral part of this operation headed by Thomas. This series consumed me for MONTHS! As sad as I am to see it end, I’m happy with how things turned out. I listened to the audiobooks, all of which were narrated by Liam DiCosimo. His voice is so yummy! I love how he speaks differently for each character. I think the Thomas voice is my favorite.
If I were the kind of man who carved actual notches into my bedpost for every new partner who landed between my sheets, I wouldn’t have a bed left to show for it.
GRAYSON
I know my way around the bedroom and the playroom, so I should have known that flirting with my older–and dominant–boss was a recipe for disaster. But by the time I realize I’m in over my head with the disgustingly rich and perfectly commanding Robert McAvoy, it’s too late to turn back. I want him and I crave the way he makes me feel, even if it’s confusing and threatens everything about the life I’ve built for myself.
I’m not a submissive. I’m not meek and I’m not mild, but when Rob is around it’s easy to see the appeal in all of those things.
* * * Flirting with Grayson was a bad idea from the start, but I’ve never been the kind of man to shy away from a challenge.
ROB
He’s frustrating, but he’s brilliant. He’s defensive and dominant, but he’s desperate to be taken care of. He’s perfect for me, and it doesn’t matter how long I have to wait for him to see it because he’s worth all of my time and more. A back and forth game leads to something far more real than either of us bargained for, and before long Grayson is in my bed and my heart. I want Grayson on his knees for me, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get him there, even if that means I have to humble myself before the man who’s too scared to trust me with his heart.
Whatever it takes.
Grayson has had a thing for his boss since, well since forever. No matter how much he wants the other man, it will never work. They are both Doms and a Dom needs a submissive. Someone willing to submit and trust their Dom to know what they need. Someone who can listen and do as they are told. Someone quite the opposite of Grayson.
I knew what was going to happen. What this book was going to do to me. I had already read it once. Then on the day the audiobook released I snatched it right up and started immediately. This afternoon I sat in my front yard ugly crying as a certain part played. A part, I might add, both narrators did an impeccable job of bringing to life. Now here’s my conundrum, friends. When I read the book I gave it 5 stars because it deserved the 5 stars! However after listening to the audiobook and feeling like it made the entire story better, why can’t I rate it more than 5 stars?! This rating system sucks sometimes. Lol But I digress, my problem with the rating system has nothing to do with the book. I obviously loved it!
One promise.
One summer to see it through.
One explosive love fueled by mutual obsession.
The day Clint sees his son, Joey, off to basic training, the young man he’s devoted his life to extracts one promise from him: spend the summer doing something selfish for a change. The request seems harmless enough until Joey puts his best friend, Raven, in charge of seeing it through.
Raven would do anything for the people who took him in as a teen, and, when it comes to Clint, anything comes without limits. When encouraging Clint to explore his selfish side reveals Raven’s love for the older man, Raven is shocked to discover his feelings may not be unrequited. Not only are they returned, but all his darkest, most hidden desires have finally found their match.
Clint’s possession feeds every craving Raven’s ever known. Raven’s openness provides Clint the freedom he’s longed for to take whatever he wants, and soon boundaries are abandoned at the bedroom door. As summer’s promise bleeds into winter, and the threat of Joey’s impending return looms over their heads, Clint and Raven love faster and harder.
When Joey’s disapproval ends up being the least of their concerns, Raven and Clint go to desperate extremes to stay close because something is better than nothing. Facing an uncertain future, both men are left wondering if you can ever go too far or risk too much and still come out on the other side whole.
Bad Wrong Things is an age-gap, best friend’s dad romance with two possessive MCs and themes of hurt/comfort and second chances. Both MCs are consenting adults and eventually get their hard-earned HEA. Use the look inside feature for trigger warnings.
Whoa! I finished this weeks ago and its still on my mind. Raven wants Clint, his best friends dad. He has for quite some time. The men end up in close-ish proximity for the summer and Raven soon discovers he isn’t alone. Seems Clint has a thing for Raven too. A summer fling can’t hurt, right? Well that may have been the case with any 2 other people but we aren’t talking about other people. This is Raven and Clint’s story and their story is not your hearts and flowers love story.
Their story is toxic.
Violent.
All consuming.
Soul crushing.
“I lived for the small windows of time either right before or right after when he momentarily forgot he hated me.”
There is a whole lot of messed up stuff going on so proceed at your own risk. Clint is Ravens addiction. Clint also isn’t fair. The mean sh!t he said to Raven at times had me raging. These men were, for lack of a better word, violent together but they were also undeniable soul mates. The “violence” is part of what made them perfect for one another. 5 taboo af stars! I listened to the audiobook it is narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Liam DiCosimo.
He comes to me through a lattice in a confessional booth in my church.
He’s brash, vulgar, and confessing to things that would send him to hell, and yet, I find myself intrigued by the mysterious man.
His sinful words thrill me. His way of life, so different from my own, has me coveting excitement that’s long been missing. The more I’m around him, the more I realize how long I’ve been deprived of so much, and the more my own deviance begins to emerge.
On paper, nothing about the two of us makes sense, and there are many reasons why I should keep my distance. I try to be pious, but if anyone were to find the skeletons in my closet, I’d be excommunicated from the church.
When something from my past reveals itself, I find myself being pulled into a way of life I didn’t think would be in my future, and now I straddle the line between right and wrong. Morality vs necessity.
I’m a priest. He’s a murderer. But we’re both sinners.
Javier is a career criminal. Hes the one The Boss calls when he needs someone “taken care of”.
Carlo is a man of God. People come to him to confess. This is how the two men meet but it seems now Carlo may be needing to make some confessions himself. Both men are keeping secrets and sometimes, no matter how hard we try to hide them, our secrets have a way of eventually coming to light. When they do decisions must be made but will any of those decisions include a happily ever after for Javier and Carlo? Is something like that even possible with a criminal and a priest?
Dude! You know that feeling when you finish a good book and you just pause to reflect on things? Okay, well imagine that happenening every other chapter. Lucero has a certain finesse that leaves you wanting in the best way. As the book progressed, chapters didn’t just end and the next one start. No. The chapter would end and I would usually say dude, damn, or another 4 letter word, then pause in awe of the brilliance before continuing on. I’m adding this one to my reread pile. 5 holy stars!
As old desires resurface, the line between sacrifice and obsession blurs, threatening to draw them both into a place they cannot escape…
I took a vow to God, to my faith, to my people. As a priest, I am bound by duty, but there’s something I can never escape—Ronan. He was my entire world. We were young, stupid, and full of dreams neither of us was able to express and when those feelings became too much, he left me.
I chose this life—a life of celibacy and sacrifice. I convinced myself it was what I wanted. To move on and let go of the past I could never have. To let go of him. But when he comes back whispering his sins and fantasies that all allude to being about me. His every word pulls me back where I can’t forget and awakens my own hidden desires.
I thought I had buried him—buried us—but the truth is, I never stopped loving him. He left to become someone else, someone who didn’t carry the weight of our love and I became suffocated within the confines of my collar. Now the temptation to cross every line I’ve sworn to uphold burns hotter than ever because he’s just within my grasp.
I should have never come back. But how could I stay away when the man I still love haunts my dreams? When I left, I thought I could move on, but the truth is—I never did. Despite the bodies I put beneath me, it was Elias I heard screaming my name. It was always him.
I came back seeking closure, but when I saw him again, standing there in his priest’s robes, cold and distant, I realized he wasn’t the sweet boy I had left behind. He had become a man—a man who made me realize I was still yearning to rekindle the fire I had extinguished out of fear all those years ago. I can’t stop myself from demanding everything I want and need from him.
I can’t stop begging for more. He may have made a vow, but I will show him that succumbing to me and allowing our fire to consume him will be greater than his heaven. I would worship every part of his body and soul. If he would just let me in…I would be his god.
Bound by duty and haunted by regret, Elias and Ronan are forced to confront a past that refuses to stay hidden. Elias, fixed in place by promises made long ago, is unable to shake the weight of a love that was never meant to be. Ronan returns like a restless force, pulling him back to what they once shared. Can they break free from the ties that bind them, or will they be forced to surrender to a past that still burns too brightly to forget?
Elias and Ronan have spent half a lifetime loving each other from afar. Their story isn’t pretty. Its not a sunshine and roses love story.
No.
It was messy.
It was painful.
Tragic, intense and incredibly unfair.
As well as heartbreakingly beautiful.
No matter what they did, there was no escaping the other. Their love never waned no matter how many miles and years were between them.
My heart has never been more f’n broken by a book than it is right now. For the last 45-60 minutes I cried so hard, I couldnt breathe. This was an epic love story. Ronan and Elias were IT for one another. They made one another so happy but there was always an obstacle. Their story was filled with so much darkness, angst and tragedy. They were healing from the past and were headed towards a future neither man had ever imagined.
I really am at a loss for what to say because I did not expect for it to hit me the way it did. Not to be too dramatic but I worry I may never fully recover from this one. It is now 7 hours later and my heart is still heavy af. I get it, the reason it was written as such but it still sucks. Annnnd here come the tears again. This was my introduction to SK Pryntz and I’m obsessed! The narrator, Vincent Graves was absolute perfection. Please voice more things because I need more of that sexy as sin voice in my audiobook life. I will listen to all the words you read. Your voice is ear candy, Sir. Uhhhh sorry, I’m getting way off track here.
5 absolutely soul crushing stars.
Even though I had no clue going in that this was a romantic tragedy, I cannot say if I would have even attempted to read it had I known. I guess I can’t be mad about it because sadness and heartache be damned, this book was addictive and intoxicating. Without a doubt one of the best books of the year. Time will not be able to erase Ronan and Elias’s story from my mind. I will carry them with me forever. Please read the lengthy trigger warnings. Beneath His Robes is not for everyone.