Five (Angels of Wrath #4)

Here's "Five" by Paulina Ian-Kane. This is the fourth novel her Angels of Wrath series.

["Lori Boone has always been unapologetically and shamelessly himself.

Petite, with soft curls and plump lips, he’s often underestimated. Until he parts those lips and the sassiness comes out.

He thrives in uncomfortable situations and plots petty revenge in his free time. Facts that don’t change even when he starts working for a prestigious law firm and under Gabriel Reed, his best friend’s brother-in-law.

“Tailored three-piece suits, perfectly styled blond hair, demanding presence, and cold stare.
My boss.
Ugh.

Well, he’s my boss’s boss’s boss, so I don’t see him much. But when we do cross paths . . . nothing.
He barely acknowledges me despite my repeated attempts to get under his skin. I’m head-turning gorgeous, catching his sharp, silver eyes shouldn’t be this hard.
I don’t hide my deep dislike for him, and my outrageous antics should get me fired, but they barely illicit a reaction.

Everything changes after I stalk him—it has become a hobby of sorts—and end up drugged, desperate, and in need of rescue, only to be saved and more by...Gabe!
I know. Bonkers, right?
Even more if you add to the mix my tendency toward sexsomnia and his multiplicity, things that set our worlds on fire.

I always thought I’d never settle for one man. More than one? Too crowded.
But what if two men share one body?
They might be exactly what I need.”"]

We've been waiting for this couple for...what seems like far too long. And it was a slow burn. Granted, it started off with a bang, but then it slowed down (sure, sure, for trauma reasons and kindness and awkwardness--and lack of communication). And then miscommunication (or more lack of communication?). 

It's a good thing that life with these Angels is fast-paced, leaving no room for too much separation. Just a whole bunch of mysterious people, potential killers, long lost somethings...

And love. So much love and dedication and possession (and confusion over the obsession) and ownership and rightness and spice and family and protection. And teasing chemistry from all sides (looking at you Sari and Uri...you're angst-filled HEA is coming). 

Trigger Warnings: mentions of date rape drugs, one MC is dosed with the drug, dub-con, discussion and imagery regarding euthanasia, talking about experimentation and torture of children, secondary character in a coma, suspicion of poisoning, multiplicity and DID, torture, gore, small reference to homophobia, and more.

#one #six #three #five #seven+four #eight #happykrampusxmas #themeetnotcute #angelsofwrath #angelsofwrathseries #paulinaiankane #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Three (Angels of Wrath #3)

Here's "Three" by Paulina Ian-Kane. This is the third novel her Angels of Wrath series.

["Hunter Penn

One hellish moment. One painful decision. And everything radically changed.

Years later, I’ve adjusted to my new life as a P.I. when a long-bearded, red-headed guy walks into an alley. The same dark alley where I’m having a talk with the armed men who were following me. The encounter is brief and bloody and ends with him winking at me as he drives away.

My curiosity—and some tailing—brings us together again...or so I thought. He wants to work with me, and despite my lack of trust in the rest of the human population, I recognize his impressive skills and need his help to find out who’s been trying to kill me.

He calls me Grizzly, Papa Bear, Yogi. His incessant flirting, impish disposition, and sexy triple-dimpled smile drive me mad. Until I force him to his knees—and what a sight that is.

Who’d have guessed I am into men in lingerie?

But when he unexpectedly asks for my help, I discover a new side to him, and finally, I know what he is.

Mine.
Mine.
Mine.

I don’t care if he thinks he’s broken. Who isn’t?

I don’t care about his family’s side business. I have a damn big skeleton hanging in my closet.

I don’t even care if my days are numbered. He makes it worth every single moment.

The only thing that matters is being near him.

Protecting him.

Showing him who he belongs to."]

This one was another that started off fast and strong and sure. And spicy. These Angels know how to really get their story going, whether their new life partner is ready or not.

And Hunter wasn't quite so ready. But Rami changed his tune rather easily to be honest. Didn't take all that much.

I love how this family just comes together. They didn't have an easy childhood and many (all) of them are broken in their own ways, but they really get the drop-everything-for-family rule. It shouldn't be as adorable as it is. 

If we keep getting more found family members, I'm going to need more books with more HEAs...

Trigger Warnings: murder, children abuse and rape, drug addiction, talking about experimentation and torture on children, torture, gore, small references to homophobia and prison, 

#one #six #three #five #seven+four #eight #happykrampusxmas #themeetnotcute #angelsofwrath #angelsofwrathseries #paulinaiankane #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Six (Angels of Wrath #2)

Here's "Six" by Paulina Ian-Kane. This is the second novel her Angels of Wrath series.

["Oliver “Ollie” Truman

My purpose in life has always been one: protect my little brother. And the only way to do that is doing what my dirtbag of a father says—easier said than done—save enough money to grab our bag packs and leave those miserable days behind us. There’s no harm in having a little fun in the meantime though, is there? And the growling beast who flattens his opponents with a single punch looks like a perfectly hot diversion to me.

The crowd calls him Hulk. Dark intense eyes, large hands, scarred back, huge rocky pecks, thick porn arms and tree trunk thighs. And If the bulge in his pants is not a mirage a very proportionat-ed…appendage.

He growls, I snort. He rejects me, I stalk him. He threatens me, I kiss him. He orders me around, I…that depends, are we in or out of bed?

His broody, rough behavior dares me to get closer, and his crude, hard words turn me on like nothing ever before. My sassy mouth has got me in trouble more times that I can count but he seems to have found a very delicious way to shut me up.

What to do when I discover his protective side? His possessiveness? The secrets? The rage and destruction?

Can two broken souls find their missing pieces among the dark, bloody, jagged ones?"]

Oh these two were fucking something. Hot and cold, push and pull, but without all of the hurt/comfort. It was flirty and fun and spicy and sweet. There was sass and magnetism. There was destruction and destiny. It was just...beautiful.

Even if there was more angst than...well, actually, there was a perfect amount of angst. Only one (maybe two?) moments of miscommunication stupidity. It kept the book going at an amazing pace, nothing felt slow or stalled. It was just all around amazing.

And more brothers falling in love, whether they want it or not. 

Trigger Warnings: physical abuse, imagery regarding abuse, drugs, addiction, talking about experimentation and torture on children, torture, blood, gore, small reference to homophobia, and more.

#one #six #three #five #seven+four #eight #happykrampusxmas #themeetnotcute #angelsofwrath #angelsofwrathseries #paulinaiankane #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

One (Angels of Wrath #1)

Here's "One" by Paulina Ian-Kane. This is the first novel her Angels of Wrath series.

["Michael Caldwell —medical examiner, odd, blood obsessed. His new life in Chicago consists of performing autopsies and eating chips while watching old detective series.

Until…

“He’s suddenly standing in front of me. Leather jacket, washed-out jeans, jet black hair.
His deep, green eyes are so intense on me I can barely breathe.
It’s in his crooked smile, bold flirting and confident—borderline conceited—behavior that I get lost.
The fact that he protects me five minutes later during an attempted robbery only reinforces my crazy-instant attraction toward him, though.

But there are shadows hiding in his gaze. And his apathetic yet possessive attitude confuses me.
Makes me care.
Makes me crave.

But then secrets come out and my life turns into a thriller movie.
Now I’m left wondering how this all started. And when the answer comes, I know I can never go back to my uneventful life. Would I even want to?
Would I be able to leave him?

‘Never again’, he whispers.”"]

I was fucking addicted to this book from chapter two/three (I needed one of each POV). It was fucking fabulous. Hilarious and cute and that moment and feeling of fate. It was perfect. 

Plus all of Raph's brother's being shocked and/or mocking him for falling in love. It was giving Adam Mulvaney falling for Noah vibes. And I was sooo here for it!!

They were disgustingly in love, totally dedicated to each other, co-dependent and toxic, possessive in so many ways, trusting each other in sooo many ways oh so fast. It was dangerous and beautiful. They were dangerous and beautiful. A perfect match.

Not sure how the rest of these brother will handle falling in love...here for the ride though. This family?! Fucking in love. 

Trigger Warnings: death, hint of body autopsy, violence, torture, blood play, gore, talk of self-harming, killing and experimenting on children, and more.

#one #six #three #five #seven+four #happykrampusxmas #themeetnotcute #angelsofwrath #angelsofwrathseries #paulinaiankane #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Paradox (A New Paradigm #1)

Here's "Paradox" by JJ Asher. This is the forst novel in the A New Paradigm series.

["I know now, for certain, that I've made a deal with The Devil. I'm just not sure yet if I've sold him my soul as well.

Jintae—nineteen, desperate, and done letting his parents script his life. His brilliant escape plan? Drop out of college and vanish into the wilderness, hiding in the off-grid cabin of his brother’s best friend until the storm blows over.

The problem? That best friend is running too.

Eden—thirty-four, newly single, and in no mood for company. Especially not the perfectionist teenager with too many brains, and too little sense, that's always gotten under his skin.

He craves solitude.

Abandonment has hollowed him. Heartbreak has left him bitter and violent. So when Jintae shows up uninvited, he throws him out—until the kid begs. He offers himself up as a live-in servant, and Eden agrees… On brutal terms.

But what started as punishment soon turns into something Eden can't name. Jintae challenges him, haunts him, tempts him. Under the fury is heat. And under the insults is a pull neither of them can outrun.

Snow traps them. Secrets rot between them. And the boy Eden swore to stay away from becomes the one thing he can't stop craving."]

These two...fuuuuck me, these two. They were dangerous and horrible and sweet and pining and angsty and mean and kind and just...a lot. They were a lot. The hurt/comfort was real. The back and forth was rough. The utter denial was painful. But the eventually fall? Sooo worth it.

This felt more than a bully-romance. The bullying was a lot and borderline (or not so borderline) not okay. Maybe it was the life-and-death situation and full-on abuse. Or the probably undiagnosed personality disorder. 

But when they fell? They fell hard. They fell fast. They fell deep, pulling each other in more and more, revealing more and more secrets, opening up to each other more and more. Even if reality wasn't too kind to them, they were to each other. 

Trigger Warnings: off-page cheating, gaslighting, physical violence, mentions of emotional and psychical parental abandonment, non-con, and more.

#paradox #anewparadigm #anewparadigmseries #jjasher #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Bro Arrangement (Best Bros Forever #3)

Here's Charli Meadows's "The Bro Arrangement." It's the third novel in her Best Bros Forever series.

["Tate
Keep it casual, keep it fun, and most importantly, no strings attached. These are the rules I’ve lived by when it comes to hooking up, and let’s just say straight boys are my specialty. If I’m nothing more than an experiment, then there’s no chance I’ll get hurt.
The next curious boy to fall into my bed is none other than Spencer Hayes, finance bro and my best friend’s roommate. There’s no denying our chemistry is off the charts, and the constant flirting has felt like a year-long edging. It was seriously overdue. But one time isn’t enough, so we make an arrangement. Follow my rules this summer, and nothing is off-limits as long as we both consent.
If things get too intense and emotions become involved, I’m ready to jump ship because no one’s breaking through the walls surrounding my heart. I don’t do serious. Ever.

Spencer
My path in life has been paved for me, with no room for detours. Go to college, get a degree in finance, and follow in my dad’s footsteps with a boring office job, wife, and kids. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy crunching numbers, but I’ve always had bigger plans for myself than the family accounting firm. And I’ve always been curious about what it’s like to be with a man. I’ve just never taken it that far. Until Tate Sinclair. With his blond curls, painted nails, and that sexy, smart mouth.
Tension has been building between us for months, and when we finally give in and go back to my place after a wild party, it’s truly explosive.
I knew hooking up with Tate would be risky, but I didn’t know it would flip my world upside down and leave me craving more than just a physical connection. The more nonchalant he acts, the deeper the wound in my chest becomes, until I have no choice but to tell him how I feel. I’ve completely fallen for him, and I want more than some shallow arrangement. I want his heart and soul."]

I needed something softer and kinder (fighting some serious cold here). This was utterly perfect. There was just enough angst to get you through the story (though, Tate made me want to take away his glitter), but it was filled with fluff and perfect chemistry.

I'm not sure if this is the end of the series or if there's more. But this book was fabulous and a delightful end of the last two books at the very least.

Trigger Warnings: mild violence and fighting, toxic past relationships, confronting past traumas, divorce, and more.

#thebropact #thebrodate #thebroarrangement #bestbrosforever #bestbrosforeverseries #charlimeadows #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

A Puck Between Friends (Gods Versus Monsters Hockey #3)

Here's JR Gray "A Puck Between Friends." It's the third book in the Gods Versus Monsters Hockey series.

["When my best friend offers to come as my date to my sister’s wedding to get back at my sister for breaking his heart, I agree thinking it will be hilarious. What I didn’t consider was that I’ve been in love with him half my life, and all the consequences of us fake dating.

My family demands I bring my new boyfriend to her shower first, and things only go downhill from there. My sister is marrying the goalie from our rival team who immediately is up in arms about us dating.

Fair, but I don’t have time to dwell on it as things quickly get weird with my best friend. Wolfe is straight, it shouldn’t be weird right? It’s fake after all. But I’m so wrong. He kisses me like I’ve never been kissed before, and then we both realize we have to keep this up for months until the wedding.

Between the unexpected sexual tension, hockey, and the secrets we are keeping. I don’t know how we’re going to get through the season."]

The I'm-in-love-with-my-best-friend hurt/comfort trope hits hard. Just as hard as the himbo-who-loves-his-best-friend-but-doesn't-know-it. 

But these two?! They were worth all of the hurt/comfort and awkwardness and lack of communication. They were worth the toxic family and nosey teammates. They were worth it, because all of the fluff and sweetness and feeling of home and deep chemistry. 

Trigger Warnings: alcohol used to cope, panic attack, anxiety surrounding medial providers, hate crime mentioned, homophobic family, sports-based homophboia, hi-erasure, parental abuse hinted, parental physical abuse mentioned, no contact with a neglectful parent, contact with an abusive parent under duress, mention of MC kicked out as teen, neglect is ignored by non-custodial parent, discussion of physical abuse from parent's intimate partner, mentions of CPS used as a threat, mention of bulling by sibling, death of abuser, parent stalking and keeping tabs on adult child, past cheating ex-gf, on-ice injury, abuse of power, police abusing their power, and more.

#nopucks #twoguysonepuck #apuckbetweenfriends #puckaroundandfindout #jrgray #godsversusmonstershockey #godsversusmonstershockeyseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks