One: Angels of Wrath, Book 1

🚨As always, check the TW! 🚨 Okay, so, for me, it felt like there was ALOT of information thrown at you in the beginning mixed in with a couple strange stylistic choices and that made it hard for me to focus. I can struggle with comprehension at times & really rely on the visuals my mind creates to help me attach to the story. (Again, this is personal to me and not something I penalize the author for.) HOWEVER Once that groundwork was laid, the book quickly gets going and everything starts moving at a nice pace. It’s super well written, the banter between everyone is so funny and the spice is spicing 🔥 I would have loved to seen more of an interaction between One & Two, just to be a part of that bond that was built. Raph has a filthy, wicked mouth and I LOVE it! Michael was charming, the perfect counter to Raph. 🌶️: 4.5/ 5 📚: 4/5 Overall, a great read 💜

Wow!!! So this was definitely a bloody crime scene type of book! It was great just different from what I normally read! Granted in this novel just warning it’s quite gory at times!!!! It balanced from light banter & steamy scenes to gory scenes!!!!! No grammatical errors which is always a plus! Realistically explores the meaning of friends and relationships that develop into love!!! Granted wayyyyyy too much angst for me personally so at times was eye rolling!! The story flowed nicely!!!! Definitely can sense the connection loved that! It was hallmark-y sappy at times & predictable! Other times was like oh snap didn’t expect that twist!!! The chemistry between our main characters was great!!!! Loved the premise insta lust/love hidden closeted characters to come out their shell for the right/perfect reason/guy friends to coworkers to lovers romance trope!! :) might be awhile before get around to it, but will be reading the sequel of this one!!

Lots (and lots, and lots) of comparisons have been made between this and the NE series by James already, so I won't add to them (much). Ideas aren't so static that one can be solely claimed by any human, at least not since the well before the beginnings of recorded history. It's the greatest treasure (and weakness) of humankind, the ability to build off the ideas of others who have come before. Would Gutenberg be thrilled or horrified by what and how we read today? Why TF not both? This is a pretty solid read by a new to me author. One I will be reading again. If you're looking for a lovely, bloody kinda romance, look no more. You've found one that does a great job of delivering blood, smut, lust, and unaliving. If you're here just to compare how 2 current M/M authors handle the same subject matter... It's your time to waste comparing apples to oak leaves, but you'll still have a bloody good time on the trip. James wrote a 5* series. Ian-Kane wrote a 5* book. Trying to proclaim "who did it better" sounds a lot less fun than reading more of these morally grey lovelies. But whatever floats your boat on that river of time you'll never get back, and only first read you'll ever have. Remember that and make it count.

I think this was a clear nod to the Necessary Evils series by Onley James. It’s not a copy, does its own thing, but I don’t think it was good enough to stand up to the inevitable comparisons. The info dumping and treating the audience like we’re dumb/need every minute feeling explained was tiring. It was also cringey, not because of the obsessiveness/possessiveness/posturing, because we love a dark romance with a toxic lead, but the way it was presented in the inner monologuing made me do hardcore eye rolls. I think this series has a lot of potential, but I’d go back and cut out a lot of the repetition and drawn out explanations of “he did this and I felt this way and I know it’s wrong but it feels so right” kind of energy. I’d rather read a shorter book than one that talks in circles. Feelings can be complicated, but not THAT complicated. I didn’t like the way Uri was spoken about, referring to his looks as “exotic” (fetishizing people of color, I’m sure it was unintentional on the author’s part) and later having one of the brothers call his dreads stupid (or dumb, can’t remember what word was used.) Diversity in characters is a good thing, and I’m glad the author didn’t make all of the characters white, and I’m aware it can be difficult to write about race in a way that isn’t insensitive, and I think the intentions were good. All in all, the story line wasn’t bad, and I’ll probably read the second book when it’s released. I hope the author can cut down on some of the…

IDK where to even start on the levels of love I have for this story. I’m very much a stabbity girl. Give me all those red flag waving, morally gray, burn the world down for my person characters all day long. As soon as these guys meet, there’s an instant connection. "MINE” is pretty much an understatement when it comes to how our psycho views his person. I absolutely love a book that uses original nicknames for their love interest. While Raph calls Michael ‘babe’ a lot, he’s fond of calling him his ‘piglet’ for reasons not mentioned but is utterly swoon. I haven’t read a book where one of the MCs is medical examiner/coroner, so it was a fun new dynamic to read about and how it was incorporated into the story. I love seeing the brothers’ shenanigans with one another, especially after everything they’ve overcome, and continue to work on. I cannot wait to read more from this series.