The Thrashers

SO many ARCs and just not enough time. Here's Julie Soto's "The Thrashers."

["Either you're in or you're out.

Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High.

They’re everything everyone wants to be.

Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in.

Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.

But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet."]

Friend groups are hard, especially when there is an odd number of people. Someone is always feeling left out. There are so many secrets and pasts and Feelings. I frequently felt left out of groups in high school; then again, thats just a fact of high school, feeling left out, no matter the truth in the matter.

I did really appreciate how this book grabbed my focus and kept it. There hasn't been a ton of mysteries lately that did that. Even if a lot of the driving force of this novel was the feelings of inadequacy and abandonment.

There was a thread of romance, which I obviously loved. Especially since it was from a place we didn't expect. That subplot grew so steadily and perfectly. Well, almost perfectly.

I loved the sheer number of plot twists. Though, I also kinda hated a few of them. Wish that it would have effected the plot and the characters more. Then again, I got a little soft on a few of them and maybe they didn't deserve soft. A few of them definitely didn't deserve soft.

Trigger Warnings: suicide, alcoholism, abusive parents, bullying, and more.

#netgalley #arc #arcteammember
#thethrashers #juliesoto #thriller #yathriller #murdermystery #yamurdermystery #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Fast Break

Here's Aria Clark's newest book, "Fast Break."

["JT
Moving from a tiny country town to the big city is tough enough. Throw in the fact I’m smack bang in the middle of my senior year and let’s just say it’s been an adjustment. Making the Division 1 basketball team alongside my ultra-popular cousin certainly helps though. As does the fact all the girls seem to be looking my way twice. Sounds pretty good, right?

But here’s the thing. See, there’s also this guy. His name’s Quinn. I’m not sure what it is but there’s something about him and that something means I tend to look at him. Like, all the time. It may have something to do with the way he wears our school uniform that seems to make my mouth go dry.

Quinn is everything I’m not – super intelligent, effortlessly classy and on his way to law school. We have nothing in common, and I’m pretty sure he’s allergic to sport. Besides, he’s never even noticed me.

But then we’re paired up for a science project and I suddenly have his full attention. And his attention? Let’s just say it’s sending me places I have been trying really hard not to go.

I can’t be myself at home. But Quinn gives me a safe place to let me see who I really am. And he makes me want more. Makes me want him. Makes me want to risk everything. I want him to be mine – but am I ready for that?"]

This book was so soft and sweet! There was so many blushes and shy smiles. The friendship was so honest and open, and their relationship just grew onto that. It was adorable as hell!!

Of course, there were jealous almost-overs, jealous best friends, generally all-around uneducated (I speak what I hear from my parents) high schoolers, homophobic parents, and more. It wasn't 100% easy for them, but they made it work. 

BUT there was virtually zero angst between these two. They were just...perfect. They communicated, they were open and honest. They cared so deeply. It was just...soft and sweet.

Trigger Warnings: homophobic (religious) parents, and more.

#grr #booksprout #indieauthorcreative #arc #arcteammember
#fastbreak #ariaclark #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Who Said Execs Couldn't Be Hexed? (Mobster Mayhem #3)

Another day, another ARC. Here's Aria Clark and JF Miev's "Who Said Execs Couldn't Be Hexed?". It's the third novel in their Mobster Mayhem series.

["HEX
Having a crush sucks. Harboring one on your dad’s stuck-up best friend, who is the grumpy Chief Security Officer of the Akiyama Group, is a nightmare.
But hey—I’m Sudo Hex, Japan’s number one genius hacker. He can play hard-to-get all he wants, but I don’t give up easily.
The luxury cruise where billionaires and corrupt politicians are gathering because of their nasty new drug will be my playground, right before we crash their party and stop their evil plans.
Forced proximity? Check.
A mystery we have to solve together? Check.
An opportunity for me to show him how reliable and responsible I am despite our age difference? Check.
Potentially dangerous situations that he has to save me from? Check, check, check.
I’ll make this mission a success, and my reward is walking away with a boyfriend.

ARAN
I should’ve never agreed to take Hex with me on this cruise. My mission is my priority and with the stakes as high as they are, a distraction is the last thing I need.
Especially one as stubborn and charming as him.
As an executive at a mafia organization, failure isn’t an option for me. But my duties aren’t the only thing hanging over my head. Years ago, I made a promise to my best friend who died in the line of duty—no matter what, I would watch over the son he left behind.
I’ve done my best, but the little shit just won’t leave me alone. He’s no longer a kid either, but he still professes his love for me every chance that he gets. I’ve shut him down countless times, yet he never gives up.
It’s annoying, exhausting too. There is no ‘we’ in the picture.
And yet, no matter what crazy things he asks of me, I just can’t find it in me to say no."]

The secret (not so secret) feelings, the push and pull, the sexual tension, the protectiveness, the fluffiness, the history and the future. It was all SO good!

I loved and hated that you didn't know who to trust (besides our men). It was fun and trippy and just enough mystery to add the perfect amount of tension to an already tense series. The romance (which we all saw coming from book one in the series) was just a perfect little cherry and a bow and just the star of the show. It was a well balanced book all around.

Trigger Warnings: mentions of death of parents, violence, mafia/conspiracy, mild & not too graphically explicit human trafficking & experiments (setting), abuse of power, sexual predators (evil side chars), and more.

#booksirens #booksprouts #grr #arcs #arcteammember
#whosaidmobsterswerescary #whosaidwitnessprotectionwasboring #whosaidexecscouldntbehexed #jfmiev #mobstermayhem #mobstermayhemseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

May's Book Shape Challenge 2025

Here's May's Book Shape Challenge! A round and hefty manatee, the floating potato of Florida, a cubby little mermaid. My favorite animal in honor of Endangered Species Day.

Last year, I went with holiday-themed (mostly) book shape challenges; this year, I'm thinking animals (which is less--and yet more--of a challenge (we'll see how it goes)).

(I picked all of these books at random, based off the color of their cover; not based on: whether I read them or not--most of which I haven't, sense why they were closest).

#reading #readingchallenge #readingdare #bookdare #bookchallenge #alphabetchallenge #beatthebacklog #monthlythemes #monthlychallenge #bookshape #bookshapechallenges #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Baldr's Secret Mate (Mated to the Viking Alpha #3)

Here's Blake R Wolfe's "Baldr's Secret Mate." It's the third novel in the Mated to the Viking Alpha series.

["The mage trapped by a magical shield has been my best friend for nearly a decade. But he doesn't know his destiny is to kill my family. Or that he's my mate.

Baldr
I met Mist the day he arrived in Fenris. It's hard to ignore magic like his when I thought I was the only mage in town. We became fast friends and it wasn't long before I realized he was my mate. But he's being held captive by the enemy, and tortured so that he can be used as a weapon against me and my family. I want to be with him, to tell him I love him. But I've seen the future and my visions are never wrong. Mist will be the one that gets me killed.

Mist
I've been trapped in this magical bubble for almost a decade. Stolen from a home I can barely remember and tortured by a crazy werewolf to do his dirty work, I'm all alone in this world. Except for my best friend, Baldr, who makes it all tolerable. Being a witch too, he understands me on a level nobody else can. But recently I've been realizing how much I care for him. In fact, I think I love him. I'm not sure if it's because I don't know anything else or because he's actually the guy for me. All I know is that I don't want to ruin our friendship. If he leaves, I'll be all alone again. However, I'm a danger to him. I still can't control my magic and it's only a matter of time before it consumes me. When that happens, I want him as far away as possible."]

Oh. My. Goddess. Yes. All the yes.

I loooved these two! They were so cute and protective and adorable and all in. They just wanted the best for people and a happily ever after. They wanted freedom and family and love. 

We also got the finale to the whole series in this novel. The heroes finally won, and the villain was finally defeated (spoiler alert??).

I now gotta add Blake to my Author To Binge list..

Trigger Warnings: kidnapping, manipulation, kidnapping, animal death, and more.

#thorsunexpectedmate #lokisenemymate #baldrssecretmate #blakerwolfe #matedtothevikingalpha #matedtothevikingalphaseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Loki's Enemy Mate (Mated to the Viking Alpha #2)

Here's Blake R Wolfe's "Loki's Enemy Mate." It's the second novel in the Mated to the Viking Alpha series.

["He’s my sworn enemy. And my heart's desire.

Loki
I left my pack and my brothers to get revenge on the werewolf that murdered my father. My plan was to kill his son, drawing his fury. Then I could get the job done once and for all.
But when fang meets fang during our fight, the earth opens up and swallows us both. Now I’m stuck in a never ending cave system with the son of my most hated enemy. And the worst part? I’m certain he’s my mate.
If I cross this line, there’s no coming back. But if I don’t, how will I live with myself?

Heimdall
My father is being hunted and so am I. We’re just trying to save our kind, that’s what I’ve been brought up to believe. I have to protect him at any cost for the future of our pack.
When my father turns his back on me, both Loki and I tumble into a cave system. Hurt, alone, and betrayed by my own father, Loki is the only comfort I have. I can feel the bond between us and despite all my upbringing, I know I can trust him. Now if he’s just let me through that bristly exterior of his.
Despite it all, loving Loki comes easily for me. But we’ll both have to betray our families if we want to be together."]

Enemies to lovers (with a whole lotta gay panic in there).

Quote of the Day (not because its romantic or anything, just a gay panic) (Heimdall): " That was the only possible explanation. I didn't fall down a hole and turn gay." 

But I loved them. It took a while to build the trust, but at the same time, it just felt right to trust each other. Without each other, they both would have died in that cave. That cave also gave them the (forced proximity) space to get to know one another, to grow that bond, to fall in love.

Of course, this book ended on a major cliffhanger (for the series--these two where a definite HFN).

Trigger Warnings: violence, speciesism, and more.

#thorsunexpectedmate #lokisenemymate #baldrssecretmate #blakerwolfe #matedtothevikingalpha #matedtothevikingalphaseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Thor's Unexpected Mate (Mated to the Viking Alpha #1)

Here's Blake R Wolfe's "Thor's Unexpected Mate." It's the first novel in the Mated to the Viking Alpha series.

["He’s a hot redhead in distress and I’m a Viking Alpha werewolf with a pack in turmoil. Even though our romance is forbidden and he’s a man, no wolf can resist the call of his fated mate.

Thor
I’ve always trusted the visions of my brother and when he told me to run, I didn’t hesitate. The Skoll pack, led by the ruthless Alpha who killed our father, is out for blood. But when I shifted and took off into the woods, I never expected to find an injured human with red hair and a pair of green eyes that could seduce me with a glance.
Against my better judgment, I secretly took him back to the hot springs my pack operates. There I made the biggest mistake of my life by kissing him in a moment of weakness. And now I’m not sure I can ever let him go. But I’m still keeping secrets from him.
However, when the Skoll leader sets his sights on my new mate, I fear I might lose him forever.

Flynn
I moved to Fenris to take care of my grandmother and to get away from the uncertainty of the city. But the mountain she lives on holds its own dangers. When I accidentally end up off the path after dark, the last thing I expected was to take a bad step and break my leg. Then, when a hulking wolf with glowing yellow eyes finds me in the dark, I’m not sure I’ll survive the night.
The next morning I wake up in a resort, cared for by a hulking man who speaks little but cares for me day and night. I’m impatient to get home to my grandmother, but he won’t let me leave until I’m healed. When I try to run away, he rescues me again and kisses me, forging a bond between us that I can’t resist.
But, the closer I try to get, the more he pulls away. He’s hiding something and I’m going to find out what it is."]

Oh. My. Gooooodess! This book was fabulous. It was partially crack, but it was also just...an awesome mishmash of secrets and folklore and shifters and Vikings and love and forbidden romance and fated mates and revenge. 

Flynn was utterly perfect for Thor, and vice versa. They were both protective and possessive and obsessed. Flynn was funny and sassy; Thor needed some light in his life. Thor was serious and filed with direction; Flynn needed some (direction).

I'm obsessed. OBsessed! 

I can't wait for the rest of the series.

Trigger Warnings: violence, stalking, and more.

#thorsunexpectedmate #lokisenemymate #baldrssecretmate #blakerwolfe #matedtothevikingalpha #matedtothevikingalphaseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks