5-star reads
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In the Middle of Somewhere (Middle of Somewhere #1) by Roan Parrish
Wow. This story blew me away. It’s probably the most anguished, low-angst read I’ve ever encountered. It might sound contradictory, because it is. But also, it isn’t. This story was all the emotion, all the time. But it never reached the level where I started to cry. I didn’t even come close. And still, there were all these feels. It had me mesmerized. Synopsis: Daniel is very much the city-boy. He’s also tough and snarky, and managed to put himself through college despite his abusive and homophobic family. When he lands a job as a college professor in the small town of Holiday, he sees it as a temporary thing. A…
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The Mating of Michael (Sex in Seattle #3) by Eli Easton
Quick recommendation! This is a juicy one. Technically, there aren’t that many steamy scenes, but there’s such a delectable undercurrent of sexual tension throughout the book it’ll have to be categorized as delicious smut anyway. And I devoured it. The trope, the writing, the characters. It all came together wonderfully. It’s a story about Michael, a registered nurse also working as a sexual surrogate. (Side note: I didn’t know what that was going in. And I still don’t know if it’s a real thing or not. Maybe I’ll have the courage to google it some day. But in the context of this story, it’s as perfect as can be.) Michael…
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The Best Men by Sarina Bowen & Lauren Blakely
Release date: January 18th Right, so. I’ll be honest. The first few chapters I thought Bowen and Blakely had dropped the ball with this one. Yes, I know, that’s totally implausible but sometime it’s bound to happen, right? Wrong. They knew exactly what they were doing! This is the forced-proximity trope at its best. Two best men, working together to prepare for the wedding of their best friend and sister, respectively. Mark is a recently divorced, single dad who wants to explore his bisexuality. Asher is a former jock who’s always up for a good time. Alone in a small guest house they’re just going to have some fun. It’s…
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Saint (Priset #3) by Sierra Simone
Emotional overload. That’s what this read was. Feelings all over the place. And even if I’m conflicted about some of the content, just the magnitude of feels this story brought me makes it an indisputable 5-star. Synopsis: Aiden was always the fun guy, the life of the party. Happy, charming and living fast. Until one night changed his life and he left to become a monk. His boyfriend Elijah was left floundering without a proper explanation or goodbye. And now, 5 years later, Elijah comes to visit Aiden at his cloister, telling him he’s getting married. Only, neither of the men have gotten over the other. And despite the dramatic…
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Boyfriend (Moo U #0) by Sarina Bowen
Release date: October 12th This was exactly the kind of fuzzy, feel-good story I needed. It’s been a while since I read college romance, but right now I can’t think of a reason why. Because this story was adorable and I loved it. Synopsis: Abbi is a full-time student while working as a server at the Biscuit. Weston is a hockey-star, Biscuit regular, and heart-throb of the Moo U campus. When Abbi realize that it’s Weston who’s posted the flyer offering himself up as a Thanksgiving date / fake boyfriend for a night, she can’t help herself. Of course she hires him to come along to her step-dad’s Thanksgiving dinner.…
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Encore (Famous #4) by Eden Finley
Release date: September 9th This was an awesome read! And hot as all get out. Synopsis: Blake Monroe, former boy band super star come action hero, is persuaded to star in a gay rom-com by his then co-star and cinematic love interest, Jordan Brooks. But when a photo of Blake and Jordan is leaked to the press, they need to go into hiding, despite Blake being straight and him and Jordan only being friends. But what better way to spend the time hiding from the media than by method-acting in order to be more relaxed and natural about kissing and being intimate with another man? Just to be clear. I…
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Little Red (Big Bad Wolves #1) by Queenie Wise
What a story this was! I practically devoured it, it was so engaging. It was a (borderline) neglecting-my-family kind of read where I, when I had to put my Kindle down, was still thinking of the story and counting the hours until I would be able to continue reading. What’s surprising, however, is that Little Red is actually a Young Adult book – and I still liked it! Generally I try to avoid YA reads (like the plague) because they tend to leave me feeling quite unsatisfied. I mean, they can contain all kinds of gore and violence, but even the smallest bit of shenanigans is a total no-no (hypocrisy…
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Dear Mr. Brody (For Him #3) by A.M. Johnson
Release Date: August 5th Wow. This story just made me so darn happy. It has such a hopeful and sweet vibe, but without being mushy or overly sugary. And still, it’s also hot as all get out. It’s such a perfect blend of feelings and naughty I can only say; Congrats Johnson! You really nailed this one. Dear Mr. Brody is a professor-student, age-gap (small one) and bi-awakening story. And it’s positively delicious. Synopsis: Donovan Brody – Van – is newly divorced, a literary agent teaching creative writing as a side-gig. Parker Mills is his student, a gifted writer, and smoking hot. Single for the first time in his adult life,…
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Blood Winter by S.J. Coles
This is not your average vampire read. In a very good way. I’d say it’s quite unique, with vampires being way more alien and predatory, ruled by their instincts to feed and survive. They’re not savages, but this depiction certainly adds more complexity to the story. Synopsis: Vampires, or heamophiles as they’re called here, have revealed themselves to the human public and tries to integrate into society. The main character, Alec, is somewhat of a recluse, staying away from social events and people in general. And he certainly never expected to attend a blood party where haemophile blood – the most exclusive drug available – is offered as the ultimate…
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The Queen and The Homo Jock King (At First Sight #2) by T.J. Klune
This is the most outrageous book I’ve ever read – well, listened to in this case. It’s over-the-top, un-filtered and inappropriate. It’s absolutely hilarious and I adore it! Synposis: The surface story is about Sanford Stuart, Sandy, a regular guy working as a claims adjuster for an insurance company. Sandy’s alter ego is the fabulous drag queen Helena Handbasket who performs for her adoring fans at the only gay bar in Tuscon. One such fan is Darren Mayne, a delicious homo jock who Sandy detests, while also salivating over. When Jack It, the gay bar, is at risk of being closed down, the owner of the bar comes up with…