Roulette War Intro by Jennifer Bene and Livia Grant

One of my favorite parts of this anthology is the detail put into setting up the story for the other novellas and authors. There is always so much detail that it gets me excited from the get-go.

Prelude by Renee Rose
This story started by the author introducing the main characters, Ravil and Lucy, who are Bratva and Lawyer. Already from just their job descriptions, it sets the stage for opposites attract. The scenes were on the softer side but still showed the importance of communication and trust. I LOVED how this ended and cannot wait for more from Ravil and Lucy.

Breathless By Eris Adderly
This story gave me the opportunity to read more about scenes that I am not as familiar with. Their scenes built on the exercises of trust which both of these characters needed. Violet was just what Anson needed. I was bummed that they only made it through two scenes because I really enjoyed their chemistry and interactions. I hope to see more of these two in the future.

Burn by Kay Elle Parker
This was my first time reading this author and it sure will not be my last because this was my favorite of the book. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this gets expanded into a full book. There is so much to be unpacked and expanded on here in regards to Ava and her backstory which is what makes me want so much more. I would love to see Finn help her heal. The scenes in their pairing were hotter than a Las Vegas sidewalk in August. HOT. HOT. HOT. One scene/kink, in particular, has not been done (that I can remember) and it definitely piqued my interest.

Inflamed by Golden Angel
I loved watching the back and forth between Elliot and Lisa. These two were both headstrong characters so it was nice to see the dynamics play out. They each gave as good as they got. I wanted more exploration of their history as to why there was such a pf Lisa trying to prove herself and Elliot learning he was wrong in certain aspects.

Wicked by Jennifer Bene
There is a reason that I fell in love with this series and that is because of this amazing author. She brought Pierce and Tori to life. I felt their emotions, especially Tory. I liked watching her come to terms with what she thought she wanted and what she ultimately, needed. Bravo.

Trained by Sue Lyndon
My favorite thing about this author is her ability to take "tame" sexual activities (if there really is such a thing in the BL world) and ramp them up. She always puts care and attention into creating characters such as Xavier and Rachel, that her audience can get invested in. I loved the chemistry between X and "Dolly". He gave her exactly what she needed and then some.

Unexpected by Measha Stone
I enjoyed the fact that the author didn't shy away from creating a character that was plus size. I also loved that the author pushed me from my comfort zone and made two kins that I am not as interested in compelling and enticing by creating a scene where I was involved (vicariously) in as Quinn and Jack.

Facade by Livia Grant
This story started with one of my favorite scenes of this anthology. It was different and Unique. It kept my interest the whole time. I liked that Sean was attentive to Stephanie's vulnerability and saw that there was a lot under her sass. I liked the juxtaposition of "experience" versus "newness" in Stephanie and that Sean was intuitive enough to see past what others assumed about Stephanie and helped her to see that as well.

And the Winner is... By Jennifer Bene and Livia Grant
I loved getting to have a scene with Jaxson, Chase, and Emma. Their connection is always so hot and strong. I love the dynamic of Dom, Switch, and Sub showing again another facet of this lifestyle and doing it well. I won't spoil the winner, as that is part of the fun of this anthology. I'm glad that I didn't have to pick because both sides had some amazing scenes. However, if I HAD to choose, I would have gone the opposite way.

All that aside. This is, in my opinion, the best roulette of them all. I look forward to this book every year. It is my Valentine's tradition now and gives me some happiness as I help work in a flower shop on this holiday and the weeks leading up to it suck the life out of me. This helps keep me regenerated. Kudos to the authors for another amazing year. ( )

So, Spencer, the DM of Black Light East is a little cocky and when he's visiting BL West, decides to challenge Elijah, DM there. And Roulette War is born.

BL East:

Renee Rose-Prologue

Newbie Lucy, AKA Lady Luck, gets paired with Russian Mafiya boss Ravil. This was an interesting story because it seems like Ravil hooks into Lucy's brain immediately. I'm hoping to see more of these characters.

Eris Adderly-Breathless

This story was named right, because it truly left me breathless. Violet and Anson are just so awesome together, and their scenes were spectacular.

Kay Elle Parker-Burn

Ummm... Wow. That's all there is to say on this one. Ava and Finn are incandescent together. I hope that Kay Elle Parker brings us more of these guys, because they are definitely hot together, and I really want to have more of them.

Golden Angel-Inflammed

How did I know it's a Golden Angel story? The words "butt stuff". LOL. Sure tip off every time. Lisa and Elliot have such an adversarial relationship, and it feeds into their scenes really well. Quite an enjoyable story.

BL West:

Jennifer Bene-Wicked

Ummmm... Yes, please! Pierce and Tori and definitely wicked, and what he does to her in this story? Dayum, just incredibly hot. I will never look at markers the same way, because, well, yeah.

Sue Lyndon-Trained

What happens when a Daddy gets together with a Dolly? We get Xavier and Rachel. Their kitten scene is both sweet and sexy as all get out. I really want so much more of these two.

Measha Stone-Unexpected

All Quinn wants is a good belting. All Jack wants is to get in her head. I can definitely tell you that she learns all kinds of unexpected things about herself in this, including what is in her own head.

Livia Grant-Facade

Sean was 2nd guessing himself, right up until Stephanie was late. Then he gets to take care of her and see the real her. Bonus, ridiculously spontaneous fisting. Maybe Livia Grant will let us have more peeks into this couple.

The Winners

Does it really matter who won the war? The real winners are us. We got to read 8 sexy stories and get to know 8 couples. I'm pretty sure that makes us the winners. ( )