isthisstorysafe

[isthisstorysafe]

C. J. Barlowe:

Killer Notes from RtR23 (multi-author) series (?). M-M. Band. Bodyguard. Needs a proofreader. Lack of respect between leads: one cries with laughter when the other is angry with him. One lead hits the other, without consent, when he won't go beyond the interaction necessary for their jobs; one slap for every question he doesn't answer. One lead ignores consent & makes sexual advances (trying to join in a solo masturbation session somewhere he's not supposed to be & when the other lead has his eyes closed) when he's been told that, despite attraction, his counterpart doesn't want anything to happen between them. Bigger lead assumes he'll top. Some stupid. Also lacks nuance & verve. Not worth finishing.

CW: physical attacks; stalking; mentally & physically abusive ex; recent death of a grandparent; gun violence; walking in on someone who's naked & staying to watch them whilst they're oblivious; death threats; anti-fraternisation policies; historic bullying by lead & other band members; historic fatal crash; historic restraint without consent; cheating ex; ex related to current employer; rejection.

[isthisstorysafe]

Megan Derr:

Lovesongs series. Band. M-M. Easy. Clichéd; done fairly well.

Wrigle & Sparkle compilation. Shifters. Mostly mythic. M(variable-presenting)-M. Includes kraken. With tentacles. Who can switch gender. Use rings to enable shifting. Foreplay (at least) in half-form.

Tales of the High Court series (?1 book released after 5 but it's a reworking of one I've read before & the others seem to follow it). Fantasy. M-M. People identifying as male are sometimes equipped to carry babies & people identifying as female are sometimes equipped to impregnate. Surrogates are a common part of parenthood. One nation has traditional tattoos to indicate enbies; another beads indicate preferred pronouns. Indirectly acknowledges ace. Poly marriage an option in some areas. Traditionally female names held by male characters (& probably vice versa). Keeps some sexist traits but clearly trying. Sex between lead & non-lead character. Exes who remain friends. No safe sex. Solid genre-standard style. Read the rest - next is the pirate one - at some point.

CW: arranged marriage; deceased spouse; power imbalance; war; historic domestic abuse; whipping without consent; anti-fraternisation rules, including punishments; deaths, including of lead’s colleagues; kidnap; imprisonment; coercion; public rejection; arranged marriage without the consent of participants;

Legacy of Charlot series (1,2). M-M. Fantasy. Nobles have to have a commoner marry into their families at least every 75 years. Tournament to decide which commoners are 'worthy'. One lead is a sex worker. Apparent gender isn't linked to ability to get pregnant. Character using they/them pronouns. Acknowledges ENM. Where it's clear, bigger lead tops. Needs a proofreader. Next in the series is probably F-M. No safe sex.

CW: physical abuse; being held liable for someone else's debts; theft; sex work through financial necessity; financial insecurity; historic domestic violence against spouse & child; violence against a parent; arranged marriage; coercion; being evicted; houselessness; murder; assassination; death of a parent; deceased spouse; fatal illness; food insecurity; secrets; threats; attempted bribery; ex refusing to accept it's over; ex causing damage; parent abandoning children; kidnap; delusional ex.

Champions series (1,2). M-M(+F-F) / M-M-F. Fantasy. Shifters. Mages. A little clunky. Indirect acknowledgement of CNM. Poly characters, including leads. Acknowledges trans people. No safe sex.

CW: historic death of a friend; anti-fraternisation policies; fertility issues ending a relationship; rejection; having to deal with exes; death; killing; murder; fire; making choices about what's best for a partner.

Heart of Fire series; probably fantasy. Try at some point.

Legendary Hearts series ditto.

[isthisstorysafe]

J.P. Sayle:

Little Paws Haven series (1). M-M. Shifters. Kink. BDSM club. Acknowledges ace.

CW: deciding to punish 'brattiness' without consent or any prior relationship; ignoring clearly stated boundaries having agreed to honour them; malicious destruction of property; ignoring a partner in favour of work; motorcycle accident; mutilation; murder; historic beating, lead by a supposed partner; outing; partial castration.

Music & Dreams from RtR23 series. M-M. Modern. Music. Nanny. Virgin. One lead has a harelip. Somewhat divorced from reality. Look for others featuring Finlee & Tiberius. No description of any sex other than side. Readable.

CW: problematic colleague; head injury; concussion; consequences of poor medical treatment; sexual & physical assault; not considering reporting sexual & physical assault; problematic co-parent; historic bullying; scarring; attempted coercion.

[isthisstorysafe]

Natalie Wish:

Priceless Treasure. M-M. Standalone. Sci-Fi. Aliens. Novella. Needs a proofreader ("devising him of his clothing"). Richer lead bottoms first by his own request. Fairly original but a tad clunky.

CW: danger of death; dangerous pet; psychologically abusive parents.

[isthisstorysafe]

K.L. Noone:

Magician. M-M. Fantasy. Magician living on an island hidden away is found by someone who wants help. He's grumpy about it. Both leads bi. No safe sex. Had definitely read Pratchett. F-M prequel-ish called Sorceress & another - M-M - prequel called The Twelfth Enchantment (see below) which might precede that, & similarly Apprentice's Luck (also see below), & possible F-F sequel-ish at some point. Really rather sweet.

CW: family strife over inheritance; absent parent; recent death of a parent.

The Twelfth Enchantment. M-M. Standalone prequel in same setting as Magician & Apprentice's Luck. Fantasy. Novella. Nice use of punctuation. Modern definition of sex. Delightful.

CW: domestic violence; abusive employer; abusive parent; threat of violence; being willing to kill.

Apprentice's Luck. Standalone in the Magician etc setting. M-M. Mild kink / BDSM. Not sure where it fits in the timeline of the setting but definitely after The Twelfth Enchantment & probably between Sorceress & Magician. Apprentice with luck-curse magic & guard who thinks it might help protect his king. Characters with they/them pronouns. At least one pan/omni lead. Delicately deliberate language. Magic-user bottoms at his own request. Clear consent. No safe sex. Look out for more in this setting if they ever appear.

CW: historic death of pseudo parent; attempted assassination; unloving family; historic childhood poverty.

[isthisstorysafe]

Felice Stevens:

Unexpected. Modern. Standalone. M-M. Accidentally swapped suitcases. Patronising.

Fall for You. M-M. Modern. Boss & assistant. Says there's a point after which consent cannot be withdrawn: "once I get you naked, I won’t be able to stop.” Employer tops first, without discussion. Limited prep. Readable.

CW: being fired; losing career along with a relationship; bad parent; deceased parent; deceased sibling; American 'healthcare'; sexual harassment at work; power imbalance; persistent exes; being asked for money by an ex; rape; rape by an ex; pregnancy; baby with deceased parent; question of paternity; non-consensual kiss; exam results.

[isthisstorysafe]

A. S. Kelly:

The 21-Day Boyfriend. Standalone. M-M. Modern. Ireland. Men with mutual best-friend get together. One lead is quite unpleasant to the other, despite needing a favour. Not particularly realistic, even given the genre. Ruder, pushier, more socially secure lead tops. Needs a proofreader. Variable concern for consent, including mostly getting consent for sex when drunk. Feels a bit outdated. Mediocre.

CW: seeing an ex move on first; having to be at social events with ex & their new partner; smoking; ignoring requested boundaries; touching someone knowing it's not consensual; kissing when it's not consensual; discovering you were kissed only so it would be seen by a third party; cheating; deceased parents; rejection; relative with mental health issues.

[isthisstorysafe]

Kai Butler:

San Amaro Investigations series (1,2,3,4,5,6,7). Detective. Supernatural. M-M. Somewhat fae P.I. trying to juggle far too many problems & obligations. More urban fantasy than romance. Some nicely worded bits: "My money was on dead if only because wolves tend to act like Hamlet as played by the Sopranos." Strong consent. Sentient house. Poly characters (albeit witnesses). Modern vibe, although classic urban fantasy feel too. Richer, more traditionally masculine lead tops until the final book. Engaging. Once I got into it, it was worth the drama.

CW: kidnap; torture; reported necrophilia; trickery & manipulation; physical enforcement of unfair obligations; unwarranted arrest; illegal imprisonment by authorities; mind control; long-lost family; attempted murder; killing in self-defense; drug use; drug distribution & sales; betrayal; sex work; escaped prisoner; destruction of buildings; magically preventing death; speaking to the dead; awful parents; reincarnation; betrayal; gun violence; shooting animals; cruelty to animals; abusive parents; deaths of lovers; maiming for spite; being forced to maim someone; choosing to maim a spouse; betrayal; military imprisonment; poor treatment of prisoners; refusal of medical attention; being caged without consent; cuffing & restraint without consent; death of a teenage foster child; suicide pact; suicide.

Imperial Space Regency series (1,2,3). Pseudo-historical. M-M. Space. Feels like earlier writing. All the standard gender clichés except in space & with men. No safe sex. Fewer gendered roles. At least one bi lead. Surprisingly nice pirates. Very safe. Readable.

CW: capture; embryo theft. If there are ever any more, read them.

[isthisstorysafe]

Jena Wade:

Dragons series (1). M-M. Supernatural. Mpreg. Last five dragons get to find mates & continue the species. No safe sex. No contraception, even when one party is unaware of the chance of pregnancy. Total lack of getting to know each other. Too much lack of depth.

CW: non-consensual pregnancy; deceased parents & no siblings; murders; being expected to quit a job; attempts at controlling behaviour.

Asilo Pack series (1). M-M. Supernatural. A/b/o. Shifters. Mpreg. Omega-only pack begins to let in alphas who've been abused / who won't get in the way of their mission to protect omegas from alphas. Some parallels with women's shelters / domestic violence shelters and trans women / enby or genderfluid or agender people. Fated mates. Two-way marking. Omega bottoms: no discussion; softened sightly by the alpha - & it's clearly unusual - saying he'd "let" the omega top if [the omega] wanted. Slightly unpolished style; tendancy to indulge in repetition. Relies on the magic of mates rather than any chemistry between characters. No safe sex. No contraception. Tries, but doesn't quite hit its marks. I gave up.

CW: death threats; beating; sacrificing to save a sibling; unfit 'leadership'; attempted murder; conflicting moral drives; killing; killing in self-defense; pregnancy.

[isthisstorysafe]

L. A. Witt:

Wildes series. Modern. M-M. Gay bar renown for attractive staff. Fanciful descriptions of sex even by the standards of the genre.

CW: stalking; domestic violence; implied coerced 'consent'. Otherwise quite nice.

Seattle Steelheads / Pucks & Rainbows series (1,2,3). M-M / M-M-M / M-M. Modern. Sports. Trans character. Lead who doesn't like anal sex. Acknowledges aro. No-one tops in one; in another the bigger leads top & bottom respectively whilst their third is vers; shorter but older man tops most of the time in another. Confusing inconsistent team names: the Steelheads & the Snowhawks are probably the same team. Failure to check in after breakups that they still don't need condoms to be safe. Readable.

CW: children losing a long-term step-parent; cutting ties to children one's parented due to breakup; children not forgiving parent for breakup; emotional blackmail; abusive ex; domestic violence; sexual, financial, physical, psychological, & emotional abuse; physically strong & otherwise assertive people being abused; taking out anger on objects; psychological trauma from war; younger children getting less than older ones had; lashing out during nightmares; children who aren't ok with their parent dating again; people who need mental health support / therapy not getting it; breakup; reported homophobic abuse, including at work; crush using someone else's name during sex; unrequited crushes; lead who wants one person & hits on that person's friend as a consolation option; anti-fraternisation rules; being unhappily single at a wedding; bad parents; blackmail; extortion; work demanding thoughts detrimental to health; someone asking for 'space'; being disowned; potentially dangerous wild animals; career-ending injury; choosing between partner & career; not knowing if partner has survived; people at work purposely causing serious physical harm.

Injured Reserve. M-M. Standalone. Sports. Modern. CNM. Leads start off married for years; the story is about how to try to stay together. Demi lead. Open marriage but no condoms. Some complexity of emotions & nuance. Readable.

CW: marriage on the rocks; serious injury at work; expecting a partner to move with one's career, even if that means entirely giving up their own; putting one's own hangups ahead of a partner's business & career; repeated relocation for work; hospitalisation; absent partner; stress (or possibly paranoia) about money; seeing a partner badly injured; moving away from all friends; domestic responsibilities all falling on one partner; feeling unloved; doubting one's attractiveness to a partner; feeling unseen; feeling like building connections - personal or professional - is negative as they'll be another thing to lose; being isolated; dealing with racism & homophobia; not being able to match a partner's sex drive; only having a partner's attention when they need support; considering ending a relationship whilst partner is unwell; American 'healthcare'; injury impairing cognition; inadvertently creating an abusive dynamic; people who clearly need therapy not getting it; marriage floundering even when everyone really trying; other people ignoring your request for space from an ex; long-distance relationship.

A Single Soul. M-M. Standalone. Supernatural. Refers to "all genders". Pleasant. Readable.

CW: doing badly in a divorce; wanting to get out of a deal; unrequited crush.

Gentlemen of the Emerald City series. M-M. Sex workers & their partners. Read at some point. Begins with 'Luca'.

[isthisstorysafe]

Mell Eight:

Witch's Circle series (1,2,3). M-M-M / M-M-M-M. Supernatural. Rare male witch escapes with his familiars who are also his lovers. All books follow same characters. Only one character's perspective (written in the third person). Character whose description suggests they're agender. Could do with a proofreader. No safe sex / no explicit description of magical protection from disease. Sex is mostly implied in first book; more is described in later ones, but it's still a low priority in the story. Least physically powerful one bottoms. Slightly Mary Sue. Possibly try more by this writer.

CW: deceased parents; abusive guardians; historic houselessness; being given dangerous assignments as the junior at work; blackmail of one lead by another; kidnap; murder; imprisonment; attempted murder; killing; child abuse; forced labour; taking blood without consent; threat of sexual / reproductive slavery; mind control; losing a job through others' suspicion; attempt to take one's animals.

[isthisstorysafe]

Alexis Hall:

Arden St. Ives series (1). M-M. BDSM. Oxbridge. Suitable vocab. Pan lead. Poly background relationship. Clear on consent. Series is all the same pair's story.

CW: prologue has someone only engaging in bdsm scenes because his lover wants to; hook-up not taking "stop" for an answer; offering sexual favours to get out of a situation; breaking property to express emotions; historic spousal abuse; absent parent; drug use; deceased parent; historic suicide attempt & ongoing risky behaviour; being stood up; issues with being touched.

Winner Bakes All series (2). M-M (#1 is F-F). Modern. UK, but occasionally doesn't feel like it's written by a Brit. NA but doesn't feel like it. Interesting housemate. Lead who's a practicing Muslim. The lead's catastrophising, self-deprecation & apologising seems to be his personality for much of the story; his counterpart only ever mentioned how he's "pretty" as a reason to want their first date. Not checking in before touching more intimate areas results in a discussion that's implicitly partly about consent. Lead who doesn't want sex before marriage. Explicitly says relationships don't require sex & means it: no sex (of any variety: it also means it about all sex counting as sex) in this. Slightly stressful to read something so drenched in self-doubt but strangely compelling.

CW: bad date; distant parents; reported general homophobia; reported general Islamophobia; absent parents; rejection; someone else's mental health issues being too much; causing stress by not getting help with mental health issues; breakup; online abuse; panic attack.

[isthisstorysafe]

Merry Farmer:

The Sons of the Cities series (1). M-M. Fantasy. Wolves = gay men living in the forest; pups = the boys, including the 'sons of the cities', they use for sex. Feels like a sequel to a previous series (maybe the 'Peter' books mentioned below). BDSM. One lead is a murderer. Not worth reading without the prequels: too tangled already & not engaging enough on its own to be worth navigating it all.

CW: ('legal'?) sexual child slavery; betrayal by a parent; lead under 18; penal slavery; historic execution; historic gang rape; conflict between siblings.

The Brotherhood Legacy series. M-M. Modern. UK-set, although almost certainly not written by a Brit. Possibly a spin-off from a Regency series. Acknowledges bi & pan. Odd implication that a bi man needs to kiss differently for men. Indirectly acknowledges the digestive system. Acknowledges sex doesn't have to be pia/piv but does suggest it's ideal. Some schmaltz. Doesn't seem to understand just how rich a billionaire is. Older & richer man chooses to bottom first, although in one case that's heavily influenced by physical limitations. "...stout and yet still attractive…" Odd implication that a top never gives oral sex. Needs a proofreader ("shoe-in"). Some overly enthusiastic attempts at metaphors: "his words as soft and incandescent as the dawn mist across the Pennines." One couple don't seem to use condoms nor discuss safe sex. Tries.

CW: divorce; hitting on wait staff when they're working; assumptions about gender for some careers; power imbalance; class issues; kissing without consent; custody issues; lost child; pornographic images of children (not even slightly described); cyber crimes; wealth & power cutting corners; public proposal; crash; life-changing injury; not getting a promotion; swearing at medical staff; needing highly personal care; paralysis; anti-fraternisation policies; choice between career and relationship; moving someone in a wheelchair without their consent; erectile dysfunction; using someone's physical immobility to carry them to places against their will.

Also writes a male menage series ('Peter' books) & both M-M & M-F Regency series as well as others.

Also writes as M. M. Farmer, including the a/o Bangers and Mash series, & as Em Farmer.

[isthisstorysafe]

Edie Montreux:

Grave Throbbing. M-M. Supernatural. Standalone. Vamps. Over-explains. 90s feel. Plodding at times. Not terrible, but feels more like someone showing off their created world & all the detail they've put in than something story- or character-driven. Gave up on it.

CW: killing; coercion; drugging; causing pain for pleasure without consent; imprisonment; corruption.

[isthisstorysafe]

Joanna Chambers & Sally Malcolm:

Creative Types series (1,2,3). M-M. Modern. Doesn't describe skin-colour when it's a white person. Lead who ghosts sexual partners to end things. Bi lead. Interesting supporting cast. Infuriating bosses. Discussion of who tops before sex when pia penetration is involved; older, bigger lead mostly tops / tops first. Clear consent. Warm. Readable.

CW: panic attack; deceased parent; rejection; power imbalance; absent parent; partner who's a sibling's ex; cheating; divorce; failure to pay child support; indirectly abusive parent; historically expecting a child to take adult responsibilities; bullying at work; coercion; being misrepresented; implicit pressure to agree to dates for career support; unsafe housing; financial insecurity; abusive ex.

[isthisstorysafe]

Christie Gordon:

Mesa Boys series. M-M. Modern. Nothing special & rather trite.

CW: being financially reliant; rejection; absent parent; bad parent; criminal parent.

Rock U series (1). M-M. Band. University. Virgin. One lead was raised Mormon. Juvenile writing. A shame, but the style really isn't for me.

CW: none, although I only made it two pages in.

[isthisstorysafe]

B. Ripley:

Possessive Love series (?1). Multi-author series. M-M. Supernatural. Virgins. Fated mates. One-way marking. Demon created by bargaining half a fetal human soul from desperate parent. Sex only counts if it's pia/piv. Bigger, supernatural lead tops first, apparently a metaphysical requirement for claiming but there's no discussion. Fairly light. Readable.

CW: awful parent; imprisonment; family a threat; child abuse; maiming; scarring without consent; being buried alive; 'friends' doing terrible things because they're ordered; deceased parent; historic cancer; referring to a person as a possession; theft; lead who likes 'bunnies'; cutting without consent; kidnap; imprisonment; betrayal; selective mutism; PTSD.