Finally got to this collection of shorts and it was fun overall to come back to the OG series and couples. Instead of going over each short I'll just kind of go over each couple (except for the poly one) and what kind of happened with their shorts.
✨Cal and Oscar - The very first couple of the very first book this author published and the very first couple/book I read by this author as well, and it was so fun to come back to them. While I didn't read the final battle due to it being in the poly book, I've read enough books since then from other POVs and from other couples at the battle to get the gist of what happened.
These after the battle shorts told me even more about what happened, and what happened for each specific couple of the OG series as well.
This kinda gets a few points off for the other MM authors and title mentioning, and I've gone into why I don't like it in past reviews. I've been really happy that this author has stopped doing that in her books so to have to deal with it once again in the earlier shorts in this was unfortunate.
BUT otherwise I loved revisiting these two, getting the Christmas short and getting to see Cal borrow Leo's uniform for him and Oscar to roleplay for sexytimes (very hot but also very sweet, of course). I remember him asking to borrow that outfit in I think Ferry and Leo's book so glad to finally get the scene of Cal fully borrowing the uniform 😉
Also, having just read Finlay, I was so happy to see the scene where Cal sees Chester being abused by Matt and then him and the other brothers helping to free him from that situation. Just knowing that Finlay would soon come into his life was wonderful while reading it. Made me so happy that he'd soon get that happiness even as my heart broke for him, seeing him in that awful situation with the awful Matt.
✨Harlow and Bailey - How wonderful to see them again and see some wonderful sexytimes with them as well. They are truly so in love with each other. Also the aftermath of Harlow having had to deal with Bailey dying again (but thankfully was his mate this time and so didn't die permanently like the first time). But still, it had to be hard for Harlow to relive at least part of that. Bailey as well, of course.
✨ Mori and River - Their book was my least fave of the OG series that I read but I enjoyed their scenes in this. Their sex scene at the kink club with others watching (only watching, no touching! So no worries there) was pretty hot overall. Nice to get introduced to characters that will no doubt be in the new spin-off series as well.
Also learning that they'd been together 7 years by the last short in this was interesting. Since their book came out two years ago in 2023, does that mean it's 7 years since 2023 and so 2030 in the timeline? Or is it 2025 in that last short and so they got together in 2018? I guess it doesn't truly matter in the end, but I generally like for timelines to make sense, is all.
Overall, I enjoyed these shorts and can't wait for more shorts from this whole universe. I hope Volume Two is of the spin-off series with some shorts for Ferry and Leo, especially Sebastian and Matty and Danny and Riley (Toby and Blaise too, their book was just my least fave of that spin-off series, is all.)
So, until the next volume of shorts. I can't wait! 😘