Love Limits (Love Language #3) by Reese Morrison

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Ash wants a Daddy. Zhong wants Ash.

But Zhong knows he can't give Ash what they need. He's asexual, and when he looks for someone special, it should be someone who will be satisfied with what he can offer. Right?

Zhong has never been enough for anyone else, so when the playful sub who loves board games and wants a Daddy bounces into his life, he knows he’ll have to sit on the sidelines.

But as Zhong grows closer to Ash, he learns more about himself. Maybe he can be the Daddy Ash needs. Maybe his love doesn’t have to have limits.

Love Limits contains a caring asexual Daddy, a genderqueer sub, age play, puppy play, sign language and a HFN. Love Lessons and Love Limits share intertwined characters and timelines, and this book should be read only after reading Love Lessons.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

In Love Limits, once again Reese Morrison impresses with complex characters. I love the whole Love Language series so far. With this being the third book in the series, be sure to read them in order. 

This part of the series is about Zhong and Ash. It follows the same timeline as Love Lessons so it definitely helps to read both. We learn more about Dustin, and wow, some new things come to light that surprise and confuse Zhong.

Zhong is asexual and panromantic, with the most complicated of emotions. Or I should say, he struggles to understand love and his wants. He's a total cuddle slut, which I came to adore in Love Lessons. And it isn't until now that he learns he was in a relationship with Dustin. 

Oh, I adore how clueless and complex Zhong is. His asexual side is beyond perplexing to him.

Add in the multi-layered Ash and things get even more convoluted.

Front and center of this story, and series, is the deaf community. There's plenty about the deaf community and the complexity of dating a hearing person if one is deaf.  I absolutely love and appreciate how much it means to Ash to find friends who are in the community. As Ash had discovered, living in the hearing world has it's own set of complications. I appreciate how much they enjoy finding people who are also deaf. 

Ash, oh sweet Ash. Ash is gender queer, born intersex and deaf. Ash longs to find a Daddy for themselves, as well as a handler during puppy time. Talk about a particular and complex set of needs. 

There is a whole lot of in depth discussions about polyamory in this book. I won't give anything away. But all the characters understand that for some people polyamory is the best choice. Given Zhong's asexual status, I enjoy the way this is all discussed.

At the heart of the story, Ash desperately wants a Daddy. They're instantly attracted to Zhong, but Zhong is far from Daddy material. Or is he? 

I don't want to give anything away, but, damn, these two are so good together. They're such opposites, but their desires and needs mesh well in the end. The journey to get there though is full of doubts, fears, and plenty of internal debate. It isn't easy. But it's worth it.

And oh, the puppy scene is just darling. This is my favorite moment in the book. Most of all, the amount of trust it takes for Ash to become a puppy and lose their ability to communicate is amazing. It's remarkable and absolutely beautiful that Ash can trust Zhong to care for them in this moment. 

In addition to all I mentioned above, I love the relationship between Ash and their mom. Omg, the fact that they are so open about their sex life with their mom is truly remarkable. I love it. 

Once again, the author excels in developing a multi-layered tale with complex characters. No one is better at writing diverse and unique characters. Sexuality and gender play a large part in who these characters are, and the author wonderfully develops and explores this. Hell, the fact that Ash is intersex and it doesn't matter at all, is stellar! 

Love Limits is a sweet and tender romance. Reese Morrison once again impresses and entertains in this romance. This is a must read when you're in the mood for an emotional romance. The heat isn't here for this one, which makes sense given Zhong's sexuality. But the emotions are front and center throughout.

Saving Throw (Table Topped #3) by Alex Silver

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Rene was my first everything. Best friend, first kiss, first love, first heartbreak.

Seven years after walking out of my life, they tear open old wounds with a single photo of a smiling little boy and the message they’re coming home.

Mo has my smile and Rene’s eyes. It kills me that I didn’t know about him sooner. As furious as the news Rene kept such a major secret makes me, I want a relationship with my son more than I want to rehash old arguments. Besides, Rene has more baggage than the 747 they flew in on, and I swore off love the first time they left me heartbroken.

When I learn Rene and Mo need a place to stay while they settle into life in Vancouver, it sounds like a perfect opportunity. I’ve got a spare room. What better way to figure out co-parenting than living together? It’s not like I’m going to fall for the ex who hurt me deeper than anyone else could. That would be ridiculous.

Saving Throw is the third M/NB romance in the Table Topped series. It features Errol, demisexual panromantic production coordinator who likes to be in control and his first love, Rene, a non-binary trans masc ex-hockey player turned coach.

CW: Past mentions of a physically abusive alcoholic parent and portrayals of trauma/PTSD related to that, secret teenage pregnancy and related gender dysphoria/difficulty with accessing medical care. Side characters struggle with infertility.

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

Saving Throw, the third book in the Table Topped series by Alex Silver is a wonderful, feel good read. 

This is a second chance romance between Errol and Renee, who were childhood best friends and high school sweethearts. When Renee re-appears in Errol's life, it's with a surprise; their six year old son. 

There's a lot going on in this story. At first, it's mostly the story of two people becoming friends again, blending their lives for the good of their son, and slowing falling back into being a couple. But later, things get heavier and more complicated.

First, I'm in awe of Errol's acceptance of the situation. He's truly a remarkable man. Most stories like this deal with the surprised parent's anger and feelings of betrayal. Instead, that is mentioned, but Errol never lets his feelings get in their way. He's fully able to look beyond his pain and spends time getting to know his son. 

Then there's Renee, who I love. A non-binary character, former hockey player, who raised their son by themselves for six years. Renee was raised by an alcoholic and abusive father. Renee's father never cared to discuss Renee's gender with them, and it took Renee a long time to understand they had gender dysphoria. Their family issues are plentiful, having left them with some emotional baggage.

In addition, adding more layers to their relationship, is Errol's sexuality. Back in the day, he didn't have a name for what he is. But now he knows he's demisexual and panromantic. The only person that has ever turned him on is Renee. No matter what Renee's body looks like, Renee's the only one Errol wants to be physical with in any way, and I applaud Renee's acceptance of Errol's preferences. Awww, I love that cuddling is just as important to Errol as anything else. 

The author handles all of these things in a fantastic manner. Renee's non-binary identity is a large part of who they are, and the author handles this with care. As well, the author explores Errol's sexuality in an amazing manner, writing it with knowledge and tact. 

This is a story of finding out you're a dad to a six year old, a second chance with your ex, and a whole lot of impressive forgiveness. It's a story of learning to move forward with one's new found situation. It's truly beautiful. There are some obstacles later on of course, as there should be given the situation, but I love how they're handled. They're important issues to be discussed and although it's heavy-ish, their love and relationship is never in doubt. 

Best of all, I enjoy the author's character diversity in this series, as they include a variety of sexual and gender identities. It's truly refreshing to find series like this, as there aren't a whole lot of them. 

As far as the gaming scenes, I continue to not relate to those. There aren't many in this one, but it's easy to skim through them quickly. 

Saving Throw is the perfect read when you're in the mood for a mostly low angst, tender read. This Alex Silver read is a impressive in it's depth, while also being a wonderful option for people to learn more about diversity and different lifestyles.