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Jericho's Boys #1
Paladin
Arseny Lebedev lives a normal life. During the day, he’s a mechanic. At night, he livestreams a fairy tale video game called Paladin. And sometimes—only sometimes—he kills people. But they all deserve it.
Ever doesn’t know his last name. He doesn’t know much of anything. Most of his life has been torture, bought and sold by a woman who calls herself his mother. He’s resigned himself to a life of servitude, until he meets Arsen.
The moment Arsen sees Ever, they’re bonded. Ever is both fragile and feral, willing to defend himself with any tool at his disposal, even teeth. Arsen is color and light, a beacon in Ever’s darkness, as brave as the knight in the game he plays.
Arsen protects Ever fiercely, but just when he feels safe, someone attempts to drag him back to his old life, reminding him that reality isn’t fairy tales or video games. He knows staying puts Arsen in danger. But Arsen insists they’re safer together. Can Ever truly have his happily ever after or is it game over?
Paladin is a hurt-comfort, dark romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a vigilante twitch-streamer and the beautiful but feral gremlin he saves from a life of misery. As with any Onley book, you’ll find dark humor, steamy sexy times, and gratuitous violence against people who totally deserve it. This is book 1 in the Jericho’s Boys series. Each book follows a different couple.
Ever doesn’t know his last name. He doesn’t know much of anything. Most of his life has been torture, bought and sold by a woman who calls herself his mother. He’s resigned himself to a life of servitude, until he meets Arsen.
The moment Arsen sees Ever, they’re bonded. Ever is both fragile and feral, willing to defend himself with any tool at his disposal, even teeth. Arsen is color and light, a beacon in Ever’s darkness, as brave as the knight in the game he plays.
Arsen protects Ever fiercely, but just when he feels safe, someone attempts to drag him back to his old life, reminding him that reality isn’t fairy tales or video games. He knows staying puts Arsen in danger. But Arsen insists they’re safer together. Can Ever truly have his happily ever after or is it game over?
Paladin is a hurt-comfort, dark romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a vigilante twitch-streamer and the beautiful but feral gremlin he saves from a life of misery. As with any Onley book, you’ll find dark humor, steamy sexy times, and gratuitous violence against people who totally deserve it. This is book 1 in the Jericho’s Boys series. Each book follows a different couple.
11 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 16, 2023
About the author
Onley James
49 books4,138 followersOnley James lives in North Carolina with her daughter, her daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and a menagerie of animals, both good and evil. James splits her time between writing m/m romance and mainlining dangerous levels of caffeine and attempting to maintain her ever-slipping sanity.
When not at her desk you can find her whining about how much writing she has to do while avoiding said writing by binge-watching unhealthy amounts of television and doom scrolling on social media. She loves true crime documentaries, anti-heroes, and writing kinky, snarky books about morally gray men who fall in love with other men.
Stay up to date: www.onleyjames.com/newsletter
Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Onley...
Want more: linktr.ee/OnleyJames
When not at her desk you can find her whining about how much writing she has to do while avoiding said writing by binge-watching unhealthy amounts of television and doom scrolling on social media. She loves true crime documentaries, anti-heroes, and writing kinky, snarky books about morally gray men who fall in love with other men.
Stay up to date: www.onleyjames.com/newsletter
Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Onley...
Want more: linktr.ee/OnleyJames
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May 17, 2023At this point, i’m just repeating myself but Onley James was previously my favourite author and had been for years, so I will always read her newest books hoping that I fall in love with one of them again.
The trigger warning of this book read and I quote Trigger warning: This book contains graphic descriptions of past physical and sexual abuse as well as gratuitous violence against bad people who totally deserve it.
So please tell me why I got to chapter 14 of this book and was balling my eyes out due to how traumatized I was because I read about Ever (one of the main character) who gets graphically assaulted on page by a random person, in the present tense, there is nothing past about this scene. And it’s quite graphic and detailed and we’re in Ever’s head the entire time, feeling how much it traumatizes him. Seriously, where is the trigger warning for that? This scene triggered me so much that I was shaking and trembling for hours after I read it, which is really not cool. The fact that this wasn’t indicated everywhere is just something that should never happen to me. I can’t even tell you how traumatizing this scene was to read for me, expecially since I wasn’t warned that it would happen to begin with.
Anyway, if we talk about the rest of this book. I don’t have much to say. This follows the same formula that Onley James has used for the last 5 books that she wrote, and that formula just does not really work for me, so it also didn’t work for me in this book. Onley James wrote atleast 4 of my favourite books of all time, so it’s very tragic to me that I just came to found her books very boring and unspired. This book brought nothing new to the table, it had no new flavour or anything. It was the same old character archetypes, the same old romance that is barely on page because half of the book is taken up by a crime plot that I frankly just do not really care about. And the same side plot were all of the side characters in this series adopt like 20 kids in a row, which let me remind you that these people are psychopaths, so maybe this isn’t the best idea of all time. And I just don’t get why all of the new Onley James book imply that you have to have kids and get married to be happy, it just feels so wrong and icky to me, it seems like we’re stuck in 1980 if we’re honest.
Also, Arsen spends a lot of this book acting like he is better than Ever and knowns what Ever wants sexually more than Ever could, because Ever was asaulted before, so he can’t know when he wants to have sex, so Arsen decides to pick for him and controls that for him. Which just felt very icky to me, I did not appreciate reading about that at all. This sounds like victim blaming that would have been in books released in 2013, which is not a good look considering how toxic these books were. Plus, this just makes it sound like Arsen thinks that Ever has no agency and power, which is just not a good look for a partner to do to you and is frankly very controlling.
Also, in a previous book, Onley James was adament that two of her couples (Avi and Felix and Asa and Zane) were separated couples and would never get into a foursome, but she wrote scenes about them being in a foursome that are only available on her patreon when you pay for them, and now she keeps showing these guys as an established foursome and not the monogamous couples that they were in their previous books, which is very confusing and hard to follow if we’re honest.
Also, i’m pretty sure that this book has more cameos from other Onley James characters than scenes between Ever and Arsen, which is probably a good thing since I can’t say that I was that interested in their scenes to begin with.
This book just felt like a copy and paste of the last 5 Onley James books to me and that wasn’t a good thing for me as I didn’t really like any of them. Plus this book barely contained any sex scenes, which is the one thing that Onley James always does right, so I didn’t even that pull going for me, which is just tragic at this point.
And also, if we could please add a trigger warning for the graphic assault scene that is in the present time and on page, I would very much appreciate that, cause I really feel like thats needed!
Also I just want to add, since people have been saying that this book does not contain assault because Ever is only brutally slammed into a wall and a random guy puts his hand in Ever’s pants, without his consent. Here is the definition of assault and groping, which is a also a crime, straight from the internet: Where does groping fall under the law? Criminal groping, also known as forcing touching or fondling, is defined […] as touching the sexual or intimate body parts of a person without their consent. Groping may include non-consensual touching, squeezing, pinching, or grabbing of the private parts of another individual. There does not need to be penetration for it to be assault, this scene was clearly assault in itself.
The trigger warning of this book read and I quote Trigger warning: This book contains graphic descriptions of past physical and sexual abuse as well as gratuitous violence against bad people who totally deserve it.
So please tell me why I got to chapter 14 of this book and was balling my eyes out due to how traumatized I was because I read about Ever (one of the main character) who gets graphically assaulted on page by a random person, in the present tense, there is nothing past about this scene. And it’s quite graphic and detailed and we’re in Ever’s head the entire time, feeling how much it traumatizes him. Seriously, where is the trigger warning for that? This scene triggered me so much that I was shaking and trembling for hours after I read it, which is really not cool. The fact that this wasn’t indicated everywhere is just something that should never happen to me. I can’t even tell you how traumatizing this scene was to read for me, expecially since I wasn’t warned that it would happen to begin with.
Anyway, if we talk about the rest of this book. I don’t have much to say. This follows the same formula that Onley James has used for the last 5 books that she wrote, and that formula just does not really work for me, so it also didn’t work for me in this book. Onley James wrote atleast 4 of my favourite books of all time, so it’s very tragic to me that I just came to found her books very boring and unspired. This book brought nothing new to the table, it had no new flavour or anything. It was the same old character archetypes, the same old romance that is barely on page because half of the book is taken up by a crime plot that I frankly just do not really care about. And the same side plot were all of the side characters in this series adopt like 20 kids in a row, which let me remind you that these people are psychopaths, so maybe this isn’t the best idea of all time. And I just don’t get why all of the new Onley James book imply that you have to have kids and get married to be happy, it just feels so wrong and icky to me, it seems like we’re stuck in 1980 if we’re honest.
Also, Arsen spends a lot of this book acting like he is better than Ever and knowns what Ever wants sexually more than Ever could, because Ever was asaulted before, so he can’t know when he wants to have sex, so Arsen decides to pick for him and controls that for him. Which just felt very icky to me, I did not appreciate reading about that at all. This sounds like victim blaming that would have been in books released in 2013, which is not a good look considering how toxic these books were. Plus, this just makes it sound like Arsen thinks that Ever has no agency and power, which is just not a good look for a partner to do to you and is frankly very controlling.
Also, in a previous book, Onley James was adament that two of her couples (Avi and Felix and Asa and Zane) were separated couples and would never get into a foursome, but she wrote scenes about them being in a foursome that are only available on her patreon when you pay for them, and now she keeps showing these guys as an established foursome and not the monogamous couples that they were in their previous books, which is very confusing and hard to follow if we’re honest.
Also, i’m pretty sure that this book has more cameos from other Onley James characters than scenes between Ever and Arsen, which is probably a good thing since I can’t say that I was that interested in their scenes to begin with.
This book just felt like a copy and paste of the last 5 Onley James books to me and that wasn’t a good thing for me as I didn’t really like any of them. Plus this book barely contained any sex scenes, which is the one thing that Onley James always does right, so I didn’t even that pull going for me, which is just tragic at this point.
And also, if we could please add a trigger warning for the graphic assault scene that is in the present time and on page, I would very much appreciate that, cause I really feel like thats needed!
Also I just want to add, since people have been saying that this book does not contain assault because Ever is only brutally slammed into a wall and a random guy puts his hand in Ever’s pants, without his consent. Here is the definition of assault and groping, which is a also a crime, straight from the internet: Where does groping fall under the law? Criminal groping, also known as forcing touching or fondling, is defined […] as touching the sexual or intimate body parts of a person without their consent. Groping may include non-consensual touching, squeezing, pinching, or grabbing of the private parts of another individual. There does not need to be penetration for it to be assault, this scene was clearly assault in itself.
May 20, 2023
~3.5~
The way Arsen found Ever broke my heart into a thousands pieces. With the things Ever had to endure, his keeper could have died a thousand times in a myriad of torturous ways and it still wouldn't have been enough.
The first half or so of the book, with Arsen taking care of Ever and Ever coming into his own, was really sweet. Everyone sort of adopted Ever and rightly so.
While Jericho's Boys is a new series, this book didn't read like a standalone. The Mulvaneys are very present here, which I didn't mind one bit, but if you haven't read the Necessary Evils series, you're gonna get hella frustrated with the constant name dropping.
As usual, the mystery/crime plot didn't really gel, but I'm happy we got to see how Jericho and Atticus came to adopt their sons. The epilogue was perfect.
P.S. I will forever be bitter that the Avi/Asa/Felix/Zane relationship has happened completely off page.
The way Arsen found Ever broke my heart into a thousands pieces. With the things Ever had to endure, his keeper could have died a thousand times in a myriad of torturous ways and it still wouldn't have been enough.
The first half or so of the book, with Arsen taking care of Ever and Ever coming into his own, was really sweet. Everyone sort of adopted Ever and rightly so.
While Jericho's Boys is a new series, this book didn't read like a standalone. The Mulvaneys are very present here, which I didn't mind one bit, but if you haven't read the Necessary Evils series, you're gonna get hella frustrated with the constant name dropping.
As usual, the mystery/crime plot didn't really gel, but I'm happy we got to see how Jericho and Atticus came to adopt their sons. The epilogue was perfect.
P.S. I will forever be bitter that the Avi/Asa/Felix/Zane relationship has happened completely off page.
Did Not Finish
May 17, 2023If authors could please stop writing books catering to their Patreon subscribers and then releasing them to the masses that’d be great. This author used to be one of my go-tos. Since she started writing for Patreon though the books have been horrible. I can only suspend reality and turn a blind eye to lazy writing so much before I end up pissed.
May 28, 2023
Reread December 2024
Doing a reread for Barbarian. Love these two.
Reread January/February 2024
Ohhh...I really enjoyed this one more this time for some reason. Bumping it up a star.
Originally read May 2023
I really liked the first part where they were working through things together. Once they started having sex, it went down hill for me because it seemed every other page was a sex scene. I wanted a little more of their relationship and Ever learning how the world worked. I still enjoyed it especially because Arsen was obsessed with Ever right from the start. Their time together while he was gaming was super cute too. It was good to see the Mulvaney's cameos and coming to the rescue. The action/climax left me wanting more. It was over a little too soon for my taste, but I'm looking forward to more.
Doing a reread for Barbarian. Love these two.
Reread January/February 2024
Ohhh...I really enjoyed this one more this time for some reason. Bumping it up a star.
Originally read May 2023
I really liked the first part where they were working through things together. Once they started having sex, it went down hill for me because it seemed every other page was a sex scene. I wanted a little more of their relationship and Ever learning how the world worked. I still enjoyed it especially because Arsen was obsessed with Ever right from the start. Their time together while he was gaming was super cute too. It was good to see the Mulvaney's cameos and coming to the rescue. The action/climax left me wanting more. It was over a little too soon for my taste, but I'm looking forward to more.
June 4, 2023
Book safety, tropes and tags down below.
Admittedly, I haven't read too many Onley James book, but this one is definitely my favorite, and Ever has moved up on my list of favorite characters. The way Arsen describes him is perfect:
"Ever was a constant surprise, as sweet and pure and angelic as the day he'd found him, but he was also somewhat feral, prone to biting, swearing and was horny almost around the clock."
Arsen was a fantastic character as well. He was sensitive and vulnerable, and a perfect match for Ever. Their scenes together while streaming was the cutest darn thing I've read in a long time, and even though there's some serious subjects in this, I found myself smiling through most of it, and I honestly want to read it again asap. This hits most of my favorite tropes and include the type of characters I go crazy for, so definitely keep that in mind while considering my enthusiasm, lol.
Slightly/very damaged characters with a murderous found family. What's not to love?
The way Jericho's boys treated Ever was adorable and heartwarming. Cuddling him, bringing him candy for him to try, and protecting him against evil. I loved it.
When reading it you might think something along the lines of "this Ever dude seems awfully well-adjusted considering all the shit he went through", and most of the other characters in the book, including Ever himself would agree with you, but don't fret, it does go slightly downhill before it gets better again. The wonders of therapy (thank you, Onley).
The Mulvaney boys make a lot of appearances, but I've only read the first book in the Necessary Evils series (plus the blurbs of the others) and I handled it fine. Highly recommend if the tropes and tags agree with you!
Book safety
TW/CW
Trope and tags
Admittedly, I haven't read too many Onley James book, but this one is definitely my favorite, and Ever has moved up on my list of favorite characters. The way Arsen describes him is perfect:
"Ever was a constant surprise, as sweet and pure and angelic as the day he'd found him, but he was also somewhat feral, prone to biting, swearing and was horny almost around the clock."
Arsen was a fantastic character as well. He was sensitive and vulnerable, and a perfect match for Ever. Their scenes together while streaming was the cutest darn thing I've read in a long time, and even though there's some serious subjects in this, I found myself smiling through most of it, and I honestly want to read it again asap. This hits most of my favorite tropes and include the type of characters I go crazy for, so definitely keep that in mind while considering my enthusiasm, lol.
Slightly/very damaged characters with a murderous found family. What's not to love?
The way Jericho's boys treated Ever was adorable and heartwarming. Cuddling him, bringing him candy for him to try, and protecting him against evil. I loved it.
When reading it you might think something along the lines of "this Ever dude seems awfully well-adjusted considering all the shit he went through", and most of the other characters in the book, including Ever himself would agree with you, but don't fret, it does go slightly downhill before it gets better again. The wonders of therapy (thank you, Onley).
The Mulvaney boys make a lot of appearances, but I've only read the first book in the Necessary Evils series (plus the blurbs of the others) and I handled it fine. Highly recommend if the tropes and tags agree with you!
Book safety
TW/CW
Trope and tags
May 18, 2023
I think this will be a nice continuation/side venture from the Necessary Evil's series. I had a little bit of a hard time transitioning to the idea of them being late teens/early 20s (I don't typically read that age group unless it's an age gap) but I really enjoyed the suspense aspect and the whodunit vibes. Plus, their relationship was really sweet and adorable. I do love justice porn.
Warning: the trigger warnings says past experiences of abuse but please note that there are some graphic immediate post-abuse scenes and one graphic on-page situation where an abuser re-enters the picture momentarily. I read some reviews where some people were very surprised by this, so I don't want anyone being re-traumatized by that.
Warning: the trigger warnings says past experiences of abuse but please note that there are some graphic immediate post-abuse scenes and one graphic on-page situation where an abuser re-enters the picture momentarily. I read some reviews where some people were very surprised by this, so I don't want anyone being re-traumatized by that.
May 18, 2023
"It smelled like ink and coffee, it smelled like paper. Ever grabbed a book and fanned the pages, sniffing again, the scent like a drug to him. There were so many books. Two stories of books. He’d never been to a book store before."
Paladin is the first book in Onley James' Jericho's Boys series, which is the spin-off series from her very popular Necessary Evils books. This is Arsen and Ever's story.
Essentially, Ever is rescued by Arsen during a job and it's insta love for both of them. Ever has been in captivity since he was a small child, and now at 19 he is experiencing so many firsts - both good and bad. Arsen is a big old cinnamon roll for him, and whilst there is also a back story of child trafficking, which essentially runs through the Necessary Evils series too, this is basically Ever and Arsen's love story.
If you loved the later Necessary Evils books, you will love Jericho's Boys too.
3.5 stars
Paladin is the first book in Onley James' Jericho's Boys series, which is the spin-off series from her very popular Necessary Evils books. This is Arsen and Ever's story.
Essentially, Ever is rescued by Arsen during a job and it's insta love for both of them. Ever has been in captivity since he was a small child, and now at 19 he is experiencing so many firsts - both good and bad. Arsen is a big old cinnamon roll for him, and whilst there is also a back story of child trafficking, which essentially runs through the Necessary Evils series too, this is basically Ever and Arsen's love story.
If you loved the later Necessary Evils books, you will love Jericho's Boys too.
3.5 stars
May 17, 2023
Ever needs to be protected at all costs he's my baby
May 20, 2023
A little boring but still good
June 13, 2026
I Loved Ever, poor little bunny boi🐰
This was such a dark sweet sexy and warm story. All the wonderful obsessions, all the wonderful feels. Arsen has a heart of gold and deserved all the happiness. A great start to this spin off series. Great to see all the older cast and crew.
*That breakfast scene restored my faith in humanity🥲
*I'm looking forward to Levi's story.
This was such a dark sweet sexy and warm story. All the wonderful obsessions, all the wonderful feels. Arsen has a heart of gold and deserved all the happiness. A great start to this spin off series. Great to see all the older cast and crew.
*That breakfast scene restored my faith in humanity🥲
*I'm looking forward to Levi's story.
May 13, 2023
The way I'm utter trash for the Mulvaneys and crew 🥹💜
September 26, 2024
4.2 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Format: ebook
“Home. Ever had a home. Well, he would have a home with Arsen, wherever they ended up. Hopefully back in the apartment over the garage, but if not, somewhere else. Arsen was his home. Arsen was his happily ever after.”
This was such a cute, fun read. Arsen has been a favorite for me since Moonstruck, and Ever was the cutest thing ever. Like Noah plus Zane plus baby koala-level cute. I adored them and their relationship. I also loved seeing more of Jericho’s boys, especially Levi.
The amount of Mulvaneys in this book is amazing. Perhaps someone who hasn’t read Necessary Evils or isn’t a fan wouldn’t appreciate it, but I certainly do. Plus SO MUCH FELIX. And anyone who knows me knows that’s my baby.
There was good plot to this book too. On par with Necessary Evils, maybe a little less involved but still just lots of fun and vibing.
The spice was good too, again, a little less present than some other books, but given Ever’s background it kinda makes sense. I enjoyed the intimacy more than the spice anyway with this couple.
I think the only things I wasn’t super keen on were the very many pop culture references. It took me out of the book quite a bit, and considering Ever was raised in a closet it didn’t make a lot of sense for it to be brought up around him. But overall I just had lots of fun and laughs. I think this book finally got me the rest of the way out of my slump and I’m hoping Levi’s book will keep the momentum going.
Another win for Onley James!
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Format: ebook
“Home. Ever had a home. Well, he would have a home with Arsen, wherever they ended up. Hopefully back in the apartment over the garage, but if not, somewhere else. Arsen was his home. Arsen was his happily ever after.”
This was such a cute, fun read. Arsen has been a favorite for me since Moonstruck, and Ever was the cutest thing ever. Like Noah plus Zane plus baby koala-level cute. I adored them and their relationship. I also loved seeing more of Jericho’s boys, especially Levi.
The amount of Mulvaneys in this book is amazing. Perhaps someone who hasn’t read Necessary Evils or isn’t a fan wouldn’t appreciate it, but I certainly do. Plus SO MUCH FELIX. And anyone who knows me knows that’s my baby.
There was good plot to this book too. On par with Necessary Evils, maybe a little less involved but still just lots of fun and vibing.
The spice was good too, again, a little less present than some other books, but given Ever’s background it kinda makes sense. I enjoyed the intimacy more than the spice anyway with this couple.
I think the only things I wasn’t super keen on were the very many pop culture references. It took me out of the book quite a bit, and considering Ever was raised in a closet it didn’t make a lot of sense for it to be brought up around him. But overall I just had lots of fun and laughs. I think this book finally got me the rest of the way out of my slump and I’m hoping Levi’s book will keep the momentum going.
Another win for Onley James!
May 18, 2023
The first half of the book was really enjoyable. The boys were sweet together, and I could see how Arsen didn't know how to behave with Ever. At the end of the day, he is very young, and the whole relationship thing is new to him. Seeing him trying and learning was nice. Ever was adorable, and I loved seeing all his firsts, both sexual and non-sexual. It was insta love, but I didn't expect anything else from OJ book, so it was ok.
But then came the crime plot with ridiculous, unbelievable, and totally OTT resolution. Plus, with all the side characters, it was overcrowded to the extreme.
Jericho and Atticus are my favorites from this universe, and it was great to see them in this book - I loved their cameos. The rest - not so much.
It is havily hinted in this book that Avi/Felix/Asa/Zane have relationships together. The corresponding content is available to OJ Patreon subscribers. But officially, OJ went another way to keep the books mainstream. Posting extra paid content on Patreon and teasing it is not OK. Either keep it in line with what was published or make it official and available for everyone. In between is super annoying.
But then came the crime plot with ridiculous, unbelievable, and totally OTT resolution. Plus, with all the side characters, it was overcrowded to the extreme.
Jericho and Atticus are my favorites from this universe, and it was great to see them in this book - I loved their cameos. The rest - not so much.
It is havily hinted in this book that Avi/Felix/Asa/Zane have relationships together. The corresponding content is available to OJ Patreon subscribers. But officially, OJ went another way to keep the books mainstream. Posting extra paid content on Patreon and teasing it is not OK. Either keep it in line with what was published or make it official and available for everyone. In between is super annoying.
January 18, 2025
This review is gonna be a little clunky so I apologize now but this was a book I listened to at work! I really enjoyed the dynamics between Arsen and Ever! Arsen with that Russian accent was 🥵 🤤
Hurt/comfort vibes!!!
That’s about it hahaha the plot was good I forget how much I do enjoy OJ and it was refreshing to see all the brothers from the other series!!
Yeah super vague when I can follow along with my eyes so I have no notes to compare and my memory is hazy or it’s all the weed! Either way this made a day of me sorting marijuana at work MUCH more enjoyable!
I will probably listen to the second one this week
Hurt/comfort vibes!!!
That’s about it hahaha the plot was good I forget how much I do enjoy OJ and it was refreshing to see all the brothers from the other series!!
Yeah super vague when I can follow along with my eyes so I have no notes to compare and my memory is hazy or it’s all the weed! Either way this made a day of me sorting marijuana at work MUCH more enjoyable!
I will probably listen to the second one this week
May 19, 2023
I really enjoyed this for the most part! It was what I expected for a book in the Mulvaney universe, and I love the characters and their personalities. It was also easy to get back into the story world because it's already so established.
Arsen reminded me a lot of Adam (my absolute favourite Mulvaney) and I liked getting to know him more, and seeing how devoted he was to Ever almost immediately. Unpopular opinion probably, but I didn't like Ever as much as I expected to! I think it was the way Ever was basically treated like a kid for the majority of the book, and it just felt a bit off for me - I was struggling to reconcile him being treated like a child one moment, and a sex fiend the next!
Also there was SO. MUCH. SEX. For me it made the story feel kind of stop-start, like the plot was just an inconvenient interuption in their ongoing sex marathon. It was a Mulvaney lite approach to being a vigilante. The 'bad guys' were barely mentioned and didn't really do much when they did pop up so it felt a little lacklustre, but the relationship between Ever and Arsen was definitely the focus, whereas the vigilante aspect is normally the focus in the Necessary Evils series with there being a dominant couple in each book, so maybe that's why I felt a bit off balance.
I was disappointed that basically the Mulvaney's swoop in and take charge at the end, but we only see Asa, Avi and Atticus - give me more Adam! I thought there would be more focus on the Murder Muppets taking care of the situation, but I did like the way they collaborated and I'm interested to see how it works going forwards.
I am intrigued for the other boys to get their books though I can't decide if I'm more excited for Lake or Nico...
Arsen reminded me a lot of Adam (my absolute favourite Mulvaney) and I liked getting to know him more, and seeing how devoted he was to Ever almost immediately. Unpopular opinion probably, but I didn't like Ever as much as I expected to! I think it was the way Ever was basically treated like a kid for the majority of the book, and it just felt a bit off for me - I was struggling to reconcile him being treated like a child one moment, and a sex fiend the next!
Also there was SO. MUCH. SEX. For me it made the story feel kind of stop-start, like the plot was just an inconvenient interuption in their ongoing sex marathon. It was a Mulvaney lite approach to being a vigilante. The 'bad guys' were barely mentioned and didn't really do much when they did pop up so it felt a little lacklustre, but the relationship between Ever and Arsen was definitely the focus, whereas the vigilante aspect is normally the focus in the Necessary Evils series with there being a dominant couple in each book, so maybe that's why I felt a bit off balance.
I was disappointed that basically the Mulvaney's swoop in and take charge at the end, but we only see Asa, Avi and Atticus - give me more Adam! I thought there would be more focus on the Murder Muppets taking care of the situation, but I did like the way they collaborated and I'm interested to see how it works going forwards.
I am intrigued for the other boys to get their books though I can't decide if I'm more excited for Lake or Nico...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2023
DNF at 70%. I may try to finish it eventually and leave a proper review but for now it’s just not doing much for me.
0-mm-books-i-own-and-to-be-read
February 21, 2023This author better (always) continue writing all these thick, lengthy MM books and series, for always :-D!!!!
Also whoever designed this cover - from the concept, to the design, to the execution of ALL the components, better friggin' keep at it for ALL the books because it is absolutely STUNNING!!! Seriously top tier cover!!!
Also whoever designed this cover - from the concept, to the design, to the execution of ALL the components, better friggin' keep at it for ALL the books because it is absolutely STUNNING!!! Seriously top tier cover!!!
May 30, 2023
Rating - 4.5 Stars
This was a fun and sweet book filled with Onley James’ signature insta-love, obsessed, murderous men, and all around borderline suspend-your-disbelief OTT.
I had been looking forward to Jericho’s boys and their spin-off series ever since we were first introduced to them in the Necessary Evils series. I adored them from the moment we met this little band of broken boys. I couldn’t wait to get to know more about each and every one of them!
Here, we have Arsen who is just living his daily life (killing bad people) when he finds and saves Ever, who has been severely abused and assaulted his entire life. They form an instant connection. Arsen wants to protect Ever at all costs and Ever has imprinted on Arsen like a baby duckling. I would consider their relationship more slow-burn compared to Onley’s usual but it’s definitely warranted - Ever is processing A LOT! They do have some good conversations, both with each other and with others, prior to starting up a physical relationship which I appreciate given the circumstances.
Ever had me captivated from the very beginning. I adored him but he made me so very sad. This boy must be protected at all costs 🥺🥺 (luckily Arsen and the rest of the gang are willing to do so to the death).
“Not everyone gets happily ever after.”
“Maybe so, but I’ll die trying to make sure you get yours.”
“When are you going to get that I would amputate a limb if you asked me to? It’s all okay. Whatever you want, whenever you want it, it’s yours. I’m yours.”
Also the praise kink in this one?!? Absolutely slapped 🥵🥵
I of course adored the found family vibes. The candy scene?! How all the boys made time every day to come see Ever to just hang out (even when it was stated that previously they had all been a bit too busy living their lives and mostly stayed in touch via group chats and streaming their game). But once Ever came along - they were there daily because they fell in love with that sweet angel boy too.
And a huge shoutout to Jericho ✌ I literally fell even more in love with this man in this book. The way he drilled into these boys how important consent is 👏 King. How Ever instantly had the intuition that Jericho was a good man. The way he is always there for these boys, even in the middle of the night, no matter what. When he gave Arsen money to splurge on his date with Ever and also made helpful suggestions (like wearing his headphones in case things got overwhelming in the outside world). Taking the steps to find Ever a really good therapist. Taking his boys out for breakfasts when they were unruly 13 year olds… This man is just the best role model **sigh** 😍😍 And Atticus?! “They came after our boys.” Damn. Right.
I am so excited for the rest of the series. Levi’s book is next and while he started off prickly toward Ever (which I wasn’t loving) - the fact that he became Ever’s emotional support person and how their bond became so beautifully intense 🥹
This was a fun and sweet book filled with Onley James’ signature insta-love, obsessed, murderous men, and all around borderline suspend-your-disbelief OTT.
I had been looking forward to Jericho’s boys and their spin-off series ever since we were first introduced to them in the Necessary Evils series. I adored them from the moment we met this little band of broken boys. I couldn’t wait to get to know more about each and every one of them!
Here, we have Arsen who is just living his daily life (killing bad people) when he finds and saves Ever, who has been severely abused and assaulted his entire life. They form an instant connection. Arsen wants to protect Ever at all costs and Ever has imprinted on Arsen like a baby duckling. I would consider their relationship more slow-burn compared to Onley’s usual but it’s definitely warranted - Ever is processing A LOT! They do have some good conversations, both with each other and with others, prior to starting up a physical relationship which I appreciate given the circumstances.
Ever had me captivated from the very beginning. I adored him but he made me so very sad. This boy must be protected at all costs 🥺🥺 (luckily Arsen and the rest of the gang are willing to do so to the death).
“Not everyone gets happily ever after.”
“Maybe so, but I’ll die trying to make sure you get yours.”
“When are you going to get that I would amputate a limb if you asked me to? It’s all okay. Whatever you want, whenever you want it, it’s yours. I’m yours.”
Also the praise kink in this one?!? Absolutely slapped 🥵🥵
I of course adored the found family vibes. The candy scene?! How all the boys made time every day to come see Ever to just hang out (even when it was stated that previously they had all been a bit too busy living their lives and mostly stayed in touch via group chats and streaming their game). But once Ever came along - they were there daily because they fell in love with that sweet angel boy too.
And a huge shoutout to Jericho ✌ I literally fell even more in love with this man in this book. The way he drilled into these boys how important consent is 👏 King. How Ever instantly had the intuition that Jericho was a good man. The way he is always there for these boys, even in the middle of the night, no matter what. When he gave Arsen money to splurge on his date with Ever and also made helpful suggestions (like wearing his headphones in case things got overwhelming in the outside world). Taking the steps to find Ever a really good therapist. Taking his boys out for breakfasts when they were unruly 13 year olds… This man is just the best role model **sigh** 😍😍 And Atticus?! “They came after our boys.” Damn. Right.
I am so excited for the rest of the series. Levi’s book is next and while he started off prickly toward Ever (which I wasn’t loving) - the fact that he became Ever’s emotional support person and how their bond became so beautifully intense 🥹
June 6, 2023
Arsen and Ever are super sweet together. Honestly, I'd give Ever 5-stars just because I adored him. However, since there's a story here outside of Ever being all sweet and lovable I have to say that I was hoping for something a little bit different from the main series, but other than Arsen not being a psychopath, the story followed the same formula - instalove, some danger, Mulvaneys swoop in and save the day. After the initial part of the story, it was really just kind of bland for me.
There are plenty of cameos from the Necessary Evils series here. I'm not a part of the author's Patreon so I guess I missed Avi/Felix/Asa/Zane dynamic morphing into something the author said would never happen. Why bother even bringing it up here if the majority of readers missed out on it? To get more signups?
3 stars for the story starting off strong, but I lost too much interest along the way.
There are plenty of cameos from the Necessary Evils series here. I'm not a part of the author's Patreon so I guess I missed Avi/Felix/Asa/Zane dynamic morphing into something the author said would never happen. Why bother even bringing it up here if the majority of readers missed out on it? To get more signups?
3 stars for the story starting off strong, but I lost too much interest along the way.
June 22, 2023
Okayish start for a new series... I will definitely give a chance to the next one
May 14, 2023
Arsen rescues Ever. In this new series branching off of the Mulvaney "Necessary Evils" series, Jericho's boys are the front and center stars. OMG, its so good!!! Once again you are immersed in the chaotic vigilante world bringing justice to the victims of truly heinous crimes. Ever feels broken and longs for more with Arsen. Arsen treats him with kid gloves fearing to traumatize him but wants everything with Ever. Its a very emotional read with everyone trying to tell Arsen how to treat him and Ever unable to ask for what he wants. This book was so worth the wait. Onley writes the books you didn't know you needed, let alone wanted and they are hot! I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
May 23, 2024
I came across this book when someone was looking for recommendations of books that had “must be protected at all costs , sweet baby angel “ characters. In this case it’s Ever.
I really enjoyed how this started, the hurt/comfort at the beginning was great, I loved every moment of it, the scenes while Arsen was streaming were so cute. 🥰
I was so sure this was going to be favorite read of mine but the more I read the less I was liking it. I still enjoyed it, mostly.
I loved Arsen. He’s perfection, *chef’s kiss*
I liked Ever but after they had sex he kind of became a sex fiend and I really wasn’t a fan of how he literally got anything he wanted from Arsen by pouting or initiating sex, the whole story became about what Ever wanted I would’ve preferred it to be a bit more balanced, with him trying to do nice things for Arson as well. 🥲
The trafficking plot was also very meh..
Characters from other books in the series were also heavily involved.
If Ever was so jealous of anyone flirting with Arsen while he was at the shop why was he okay with Felix pawing at him, I get it was to make Arsen jealous but like 🤷🏻♀️
I really enjoyed how this started, the hurt/comfort at the beginning was great, I loved every moment of it, the scenes while Arsen was streaming were so cute. 🥰
I was so sure this was going to be favorite read of mine but the more I read the less I was liking it. I still enjoyed it, mostly.
I loved Arsen. He’s perfection, *chef’s kiss*
I liked Ever but after they had sex he kind of became a sex fiend and I really wasn’t a fan of how he literally got anything he wanted from Arsen by pouting or initiating sex, the whole story became about what Ever wanted I would’ve preferred it to be a bit more balanced, with him trying to do nice things for Arson as well. 🥲
The trafficking plot was also very meh..
Characters from other books in the series were also heavily involved.
If Ever was so jealous of anyone flirting with Arsen while he was at the shop why was he okay with Felix pawing at him, I get it was to make Arsen jealous but like 🤷🏻♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2026
2⭐️ The setup was interesting and the relationship was sweet—very instalove. But all Onley’s books read like immature fanfics of the original 3 Necessary Evils books. She’s milking the Mulvaneys for all they’re worth and I’m bored of it. Pony needs to find a new trick.
June 5, 2023
Loads of hurt-comfort scenes here which is my jam. Hugely unrealistic but entertaining story.
September 14, 2025
The relationship was far too unserious for me I'm afraid. I couldn't get behind it or either of the characters. It didn't help that the audiobook narrator's russian accent for arsen was so abysmal that I burst out laughing every time I heard it. This was a good laugh, just not for any good reason
January 10, 2024
Paladin is the first book in Onley James's Jericho's Boys series. This series is a spin-off from her Necessary Evils series, and prior reading would be helpful but you could still enjoy this on it's own. Here's what you can expect from Arsen and Ever:
🩷 MM dark romance
🩷 Third person dual point of view
🩷 Guaranteed happily ever after
🩷 Hurt/comfort
🩷 Satisfying vigilante justice
🩷 Dark humour
🩷 Steam
🩷 Trauma and therapy
🩷 Found family
As always, ensure you review the content and trigger warnings to decide if this book is right for you. Note that this list of warnings and triggers may be incomplete. Please take care of yourself while reading.
If you're like me and was super sad to finish the Necessary Evils series with Maniac, never fear, Onley has blessed us with the Jericho's Boys spin-off series, as well as The Watch. Jericho's Boys features the band of "strays" that maintain vigilante justice in the neighborhood where Jericho's garage is, and the neighborhood that his kids call home. We first meet them in Moonstruck, and then occasionally thoroughout the remainder of the Necessary Evils series, but now they get their own stories!
I loved Arsen and Ever's story so much. It was the perfect balance of hurt/comfort, dark humour, and steam (which is really just trademark Onley). She never shies away from telling the difficult stories. Ever is the epitome of a broken boy. Watching him grow and flourish throughout the book was so awesome. His story reminds me a lot of Noah's in Unhinged, so of course I was super happy when him and Noah had a heart-to-heart partway through the book. I adored all of the Mulvaney cameos throughout this book, so if you're missing your favourites from that series, never fear. We haven't seen the last of them. The story moved fairly quickly. A lot of it was focused on Ever just acclimating to his new life, but there was some vigilante justice towards the end of the book which is always a staple in these stories. Ever's world has literally been flipped upside down, and he'll have so much to absorb and learn as he starts his new life. I love that he has Arsen, Jericho, Atticus (and oh my goodness, Atticus loves those kids so much even if he'll never admit it and I am here for it), and all his new friends to help him. As with Onley's other works, the found family vibes were on point.
Another aspect of the book I appreciated was the role of therapy. Arsen and Ever both have horrific trauma in their past. As we know, healing isn't linear. I think Onley did a great job at portraying Ever being "fine" at first, but the trauma invading his life as the book progresses. I think a lot of folks will resonate with feeling worse after starting therapy, to the point where they feel like it's not working and they want to quit. Love can't cure all, and therapy can't either. The combination Ever has with therapy and Arsen to support him at home is something I wish everyone could have.
Audiobook Review
I purchased the audiobook to do my re-read of Paladin from Onley's website. I think Liam DiCosimo did a great job with both Arsen and Ever, as well as differentiating all the different voices in the book. I did think Arsen's voice was a touch deeper than I was expecting, however, a Russian accent isn't an easy think to do and I think overall, he did an amazing job. I believe he's done most of Onley's books, and I like that aspect of continuity.
🩷 MM dark romance
🩷 Third person dual point of view
🩷 Guaranteed happily ever after
🩷 Hurt/comfort
🩷 Satisfying vigilante justice
🩷 Dark humour
🩷 Steam
🩷 Trauma and therapy
🩷 Found family
As always, ensure you review the content and trigger warnings to decide if this book is right for you. Note that this list of warnings and triggers may be incomplete. Please take care of yourself while reading.
He cycled through dozens of words in his head before he finally settled on one. Luminous. That was the word. Arsen was luminous, a beacon in Ever’s world of permanent monochrome.
If you're like me and was super sad to finish the Necessary Evils series with Maniac, never fear, Onley has blessed us with the Jericho's Boys spin-off series, as well as The Watch. Jericho's Boys features the band of "strays" that maintain vigilante justice in the neighborhood where Jericho's garage is, and the neighborhood that his kids call home. We first meet them in Moonstruck, and then occasionally thoroughout the remainder of the Necessary Evils series, but now they get their own stories!
I loved Arsen and Ever's story so much. It was the perfect balance of hurt/comfort, dark humour, and steam (which is really just trademark Onley). She never shies away from telling the difficult stories. Ever is the epitome of a broken boy. Watching him grow and flourish throughout the book was so awesome. His story reminds me a lot of Noah's in Unhinged, so of course I was super happy when him and Noah had a heart-to-heart partway through the book. I adored all of the Mulvaney cameos throughout this book, so if you're missing your favourites from that series, never fear. We haven't seen the last of them. The story moved fairly quickly. A lot of it was focused on Ever just acclimating to his new life, but there was some vigilante justice towards the end of the book which is always a staple in these stories. Ever's world has literally been flipped upside down, and he'll have so much to absorb and learn as he starts his new life. I love that he has Arsen, Jericho, Atticus (and oh my goodness, Atticus loves those kids so much even if he'll never admit it and I am here for it), and all his new friends to help him. As with Onley's other works, the found family vibes were on point.
Another aspect of the book I appreciated was the role of therapy. Arsen and Ever both have horrific trauma in their past. As we know, healing isn't linear. I think Onley did a great job at portraying Ever being "fine" at first, but the trauma invading his life as the book progresses. I think a lot of folks will resonate with feeling worse after starting therapy, to the point where they feel like it's not working and they want to quit. Love can't cure all, and therapy can't either. The combination Ever has with therapy and Arsen to support him at home is something I wish everyone could have.
Audiobook Review
I purchased the audiobook to do my re-read of Paladin from Onley's website. I think Liam DiCosimo did a great job with both Arsen and Ever, as well as differentiating all the different voices in the book. I did think Arsen's voice was a touch deeper than I was expecting, however, a Russian accent isn't an easy think to do and I think overall, he did an amazing job. I believe he's done most of Onley's books, and I like that aspect of continuity.
“You did,” Arsen shot back, voice raw. “You saved me. You saved me the day I found you, and if I lose you, I will never be okay. I know you have a big heart, and you want to help the world, but please, let me be selfish with you. I can’t stand the thought…” He trailed off. “Please, besenok. Can I just be selfish with you? I will give you your happily ever after. I promise. Can you let me do that? Can you just let me love you and keep you safe?”
June 3, 2023
DNF at 89%
I know…. 89% you say? Why didn’t I just finish it? I currently have a fever and I’m not even exaggerating when I say finishing this book will make me more ill😂
Like… this book made me so uncomfortable at times. I understand that the twinks that have feelings in this series often fall into certain categories, but this was too much. How many times do we have to hear about ever’s “bunny teeth” (paired with the fact he’s repeatedly infantilised)…. It was gross. This and the fact it’s implied he kinda looks like a child, it just felt like yet another homoerotic ingenue caricature.
That’s not to say that ever doesn’t have substance. He definitely does, but I think what we’re all thinking here is how can someone whose trauma was so recent suddenly fall in love?? Also, even if I was to overlook that (as the premise of these books is predicated on insta love anyway) - why would Arsen, a supposed well adjusted NORMAL human, immediately fall in love? The love confessions felt so soon and as neither of these are psychopaths, it felt like a joke!
I just felt uncomfortable with the whole dynamic tbh. I could deal with one or two of these things in moderation, but this book felt very monotonous. I wasn’t really invested in the plot either.
I also found the whole love bombing ever because ~ever’s sooo precious and we’d die for him because he’s a cinnamon roll~ sooo millennial coded and cringe lol. Parts of this book felt like this author was definitely on tumblr.
I know…. 89% you say? Why didn’t I just finish it? I currently have a fever and I’m not even exaggerating when I say finishing this book will make me more ill😂
Like… this book made me so uncomfortable at times. I understand that the twinks that have feelings in this series often fall into certain categories, but this was too much. How many times do we have to hear about ever’s “bunny teeth” (paired with the fact he’s repeatedly infantilised)…. It was gross. This and the fact it’s implied he kinda looks like a child, it just felt like yet another homoerotic ingenue caricature.
That’s not to say that ever doesn’t have substance. He definitely does, but I think what we’re all thinking here is how can someone whose trauma was so recent suddenly fall in love?? Also, even if I was to overlook that (as the premise of these books is predicated on insta love anyway) - why would Arsen, a supposed well adjusted NORMAL human, immediately fall in love? The love confessions felt so soon and as neither of these are psychopaths, it felt like a joke!
I just felt uncomfortable with the whole dynamic tbh. I could deal with one or two of these things in moderation, but this book felt very monotonous. I wasn’t really invested in the plot either.
I also found the whole love bombing ever because ~ever’s sooo precious and we’d die for him because he’s a cinnamon roll~ sooo millennial coded and cringe lol. Parts of this book felt like this author was definitely on tumblr.
May 18, 2023
The expanded Mulvaney universe is amazing 😭 Arsen and Ever were the perfect swoony start to the Jericho’s Boys series.
Unexpected Moment - Atticus going all growly and protective over these boys he “adopted” when he married Jericho, getting assertive with a “touch them and die” moment. HOTTEST ATTICUS MOMENT EVER.
Unexpected Moment - Atticus going all growly and protective over these boys he “adopted” when he married Jericho, getting assertive with a “touch them and die” moment. HOTTEST ATTICUS MOMENT EVER.
May 17, 2023
I absolutely cannot with these two 😭 so precious.
I knew I was going to love this book, because come on. But the way it was so much more than I expected. I am obsessed with Arsen and Ever. They are so perfect for each other. Just so sweet and protective and patient. They make my heart so happy.
And the Murder Muppets just doting on Ever 🫠 I need to see more of that. Plenty of Mulvaney presence as I’d hoped.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I’ll leave it at this-READ THIS BOOK!!!
As always, check triggers!
I knew I was going to love this book, because come on. But the way it was so much more than I expected. I am obsessed with Arsen and Ever. They are so perfect for each other. Just so sweet and protective and patient. They make my heart so happy.
And the Murder Muppets just doting on Ever 🫠 I need to see more of that. Plenty of Mulvaney presence as I’d hoped.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I’ll leave it at this-READ THIS BOOK!!!
As always, check triggers!
May 19, 2023
I always enjoy this author’s books. I like the story, the romance, the characters, the sex, etc. They are always fun and very dirty to me. The only thing is that her books are starting to get a little predictable to me. They all feel the same. I can always guess what’s going to happen. Like something bad will ~almost~ happen to a character toward the end, but the love interest will save them. All is fair in love and murder. My favorite part of this book was Jericho and Atticus cameos. They are my fav couple.
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