reviews fireside fiction

Transmigrating only to end up in the body of a notorious and blacklisted dated movie queen? Accused of bribery, plastic surgery, being a mistress and diva, and even having sex for favors? The number one spoiled and domineering queen returns with a vengeance! To kick out the movie kings and queens and to dominate the entertainment industry! Nothing will stand in the way of the empress to get rid of that bastard emperor—not even transmigration! But… F*ck! What the hell? That darn husband of hers is the spitting image of that bastard emperor…

After declaring their love for each other on Christmas Day, Simon Peters and Mark Smith settle down to a cosy life of domestic togetherness.<br><br>A new year brings new joys and challenges. Sam, a neighbour boy comes to stay for a few days and adopts Simon and Mark as honorary dads.<br><br>A promotion at work gives Simon more responsibility. Mark finds employment at the local café. The purchase of a car allows the couple to get out and about to explore the Yorkshire countryside.<br><br>Snuggle up in an easy chair and toast your toes in front of the fire as you read Simon and Mark’s continuing romantic adventures.

Simon Peters and his partner Mark Smith face a number of challenging life events in the fourth and final volume of this heart-warming saga.<br><br>Because of his time working on the streets after being kicked out of home by his father, Mark worries he may have contracted HIV. Despite knowing the lack of treatment options if he were to test positive -- this is the late 1980’s before the age of retro-viral drugs -- Mark is determined to know his fate.<br><br>Things become complicated when Mark receives a letter from his father wanting to re-establish contact. Roy entering their lives presents further challenges, ones which ultimately threaten Simon and Mark’s continued happiness.<br><br>Gay teens Sam and Billy play an increasingly important part in Simon and Mark’s lives, often regarding the older men as surrogate fathers/big brothers. Can this unconventional family pull together and become stronger, despite all the world has thrown at them?

A gentle, cosy, and touching romance set in mid-1980's Yorkshire.<br><br>Simon Peters knows he’s Mr. Average. He works at the local library during the day and goes home to his modest and lonely house at night.<br><br>Mark Smith was kicked out of home by his drunken father for being gay. Buying a bus ticket, he travels as far as his meagre savings allow. He’s taken in by Jake, but soon realises the man’s darker, criminal side. Trapped, Mark is forced to work the streets.<br><br>One evening, when the loneliness becomes overwhelming, Simon gathers up his courage and goes to the red light district of the town to buy a little human companionship.<br><br>As the weeks pass and the weather turns colder outside, both Simon and Mark find warmth and friendship indoors.<br><br>When an explosion kills Jake and injures Mark, Simon has to make a decision. Can he offer Mark shelter and nurse him back to health without revealing his true feelings for the man?

A mysterious storyteller huddles by a campfire at the edge of a well trodden path. He waits as curious travellers gather by the fireside, the embers acting as a beacon in the night. Finally, he speaks. His voice is smooth, as if well used. His movements and words captivate the growing audience. He speaks omnisciently, sparing no details, as if he were there himself. Story after story, he weaves together. The audience loses track of where one ends and another begins. They soon come to understand, the stories are far more than they seem. Wild fragments, gathered by the storyteller; woven together to paint a vast tapestry. Unwittingly, you have already joined his audience.

When the System descended and turned Earth into a dungeon-crawling death game, most people got combat classes—Warrior, Mage, Rogue. Takeshi got something different: Corporate Drone. While others gained flashy skills and legendary weapons, he received a briefcase, a tie that never wrinkles, and abilities like [Overtime Exploitation] and [Meeting Scheduler]. His employer? The Black Company, a ruthless interdimensional corporation that treats dungeon diving like just another day at the office, complete with quotas, performance reviews, and mandatory unpaid overtime in monster-infested hellscapes. But Takeshi isn't complaining. In his old life, he survived Japan's most brutal work culture, mastering the art of endurance, efficiency, and turning corporate BS into actual results. Now, those same skills that made him a salaryman legend are his path to power. Every monster killed is a KPI met. Every dungeon cleared is a project completed ahead of schedule. The Black Company doesn't care if he lives or dies. His party members think his class is a joke. But Takeshi has spent years climbing corporate ladders built on backstabbing and impossible deadlines. And while other adventurers burn out chasing glory, he grinds forward with the relentless, soul-crushing determination only a black company veteran possesses. Because in a world where everyone else is playing hero, sometimes the key to reaching the top is knowing how to work the system—literally.

This is a collection of reviews about the books I've read so far :)

Elijah lived in the magical world. He had no powers but his friend did. He had no parents as well. When he couldn't pay rent, he had to find a hotel. Other hotels were very expensive and asked his friends for help. They followed him to a hotel with no reviews. Just as his friends were about to leave, the door closed. They tried to find exits but couldn't find it. There were no receptionists, too. They knew their only way is... foward. *gulp*

Flora Bloom, who was betrayed and killed by her boyfriend in her past life, is reborn with a peerless spatial dimension back to the time before the crisis, hoarding food, raising a child, and tearing apart scumbag men and manipulative women. Originally, she just wanted to raise a child and low-key fight zombies and level up together with her family. But she discovered that she was unexpectedly falling step by step into a tender trap meticulously designed by a certain sly and scheming man. Flora Bloom looked at the vast space within her sea of consciousness; it had a farmhouse courtyard, fields, and a Spirit River, but it just lacked a bit of vitality. So, a fat, sky-flying mantis? Collect! A rare little white tiger that can discharge electricity? Collect! A behemoth spirit crocodile with its young? Collect! As long as it's alive and edible, collect, collect, collect them all! Endless scumbags and vile women, a shameless and deeply scheming leader, all wanting to use her to attack zombies and obtain more Crystal Cores for their own gain? Your shameless, worthless life? Hand it over.

One day, a strange hand suddenly appeared inside Chi Wan’s interdimensional space. Its owner claimed to be living in the apocalypse—starving, desperate—and begged to trade anything he had for food. Chi Wan stared at the pile of Imperial Green jade, oversized diamonds, and dozens of kilograms of gold bars he offered… and fell into deep thought. …Wasn’t this a little too profitable? From then on, her connection to the apocalypse only grew stronger. The mysterious man—who turned out to be a powerful figure—used his Wood Ability to help her revive rare orchids, cultivate endangered plants, and even harvest zombie crystal cores for the country. As for Chi Wan? She only had three responsibilities: feed him, feed him, and keep feeding him. Somehow, without realizing it, a group of extraordinary men began to gather around her: A genius research scientist. An aloof, abstinent CEO. A cold and ruthless Soldier King… In front of Chi Wan, they were gentle, attentive, and impeccably polite—each trying to outshine the others. Behind her back? They were one step away from tearing each other apart. Meanwhile, on the other side of the spatial link… The so-called King of the Apocalypse clenched his teeth in silence as he listened to these men compete for her attention. As for Chi Wan? “I’m busy getting rich and supporting my family,” she said calmly. “A battle royale of suitors? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Until one day— An absurdly handsome man appeared at the gates of her villa… carrying a sack filled with gold and jewels. “I’m here to marry into your family,” he declared. Chi Wan glanced at him, then at the newly connected wasteland world inside her space… …and once again fell into deep thought.