Grind (Gymbos #3)

KM Neuhold's latest: "Grind." It's the third novel in her new Gymbos series.

["Hockey star Diego Ferguson says he knows about the grind, but he’s about to learn that his new personal trainer, Callan, gives the word a whole new meaning.

Everyone in Chicago has been following the news about Diego's injury and the last season spent on the bench. It doesn’t hurt that he's got a major sexy brood going on in every picture I see of him these days.

The last place I expected him to show up was Sweat. But he's looking for a personal trainer to help him get fully back in shape before the season, and I'm just the guy for the job.

It figures that he's straight, but that doesn’t mean I can't enjoy the view while I help get his fine backside ready to get back out on the ice.

He's definitely as surly as his pictures, and twice as arrogant. Turns out he's also desperate for some bro time in between workouts, and I'm more than qualified to be the guy for that job too.

Maybe he's not as straight as he claims. Maybe he just needs a little fun to get his confidence back up after last season. Maybe I'll let myself indulge in a harmless fling with a cocky, bi-curious hockey player as a little treat. I work hard after all, and I deserve a little fun too.

We both know it can't last, but puck it, a summer fling is always a good time."]

UGH! All of the bro-ing, all of the challenges, all of the 80s movies, all of the grilling. All of the falling from friendship to more. This was fluffy and filled with all kinds of fun. It was flirty and adorable. It was honest and careful. So much found family, and re-finding your found family. It was beautiful. 

I loved how easy this book was. There was just enough angst to get you to continue reading (and for some serious character arcs), but there wasn't anything crazy stressful. Their friendship was easy, their relationship was easy. They communicated like a dream (they read each other like a dream). 

And here's to Slaps. You go, boo!

Trigger Warnings: sports related homophobia, minor internalized homophobia, and more. 

#jacked #pumped #grind #gymbos #gymbosseries #kmneuhold #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

September's Book Shape Challenge 2026

2026 Book Shape Challenges... Last year, I went with an animal-theme. This year, I'm thinking zodiac constellations (which is less--and yet more--of a challenge (we'll see how it goes)).

Here's September's Book Shape Challenge! Virgo!!

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

Tracking Wolfe (Made Marian #4)

Here's Lucy Lennox's "Tracking Wolfe." It's the fourth book in her Made Marian Legacy series, which is a spin-off series from her Made Marian series and her Billionaire Brother series, and this book is set in the same area as her Aster Valley series (the first and the last are also connected to her Forever Wilde series).

["I’ve been in love with Trace Bishop half my life… 
And I’ve been hiding it just as long.

He’s my father’s best friend. 
The man who tracked me down and kept me safe my entire childhood…

The man who looked me in the eyes six years ago and said we were impossible.

So I poured my longing into love songs.
Songs no one knows are about Trace. 
I shared them with the world under a secret identity and won a Grammy.
Just another thing to hide. 

Then one stupid kiss changes everything.

Trace can’t want me back. 
It would cost him his friends, his family, and the life he’s built. 
And I’m tired of wanting the impossible.  
So I run… 

Straight into the crosshairs of someone who knows all my secrets and doesn’t care who gets hurt.

Trace does what he always does–he finds me. 
But this time, he’s not tracking his best friend’s son.
He’s tracking the man whose kiss he can’t forget. 
The man he’ll burn his life down to keep. 

Because if Trace and I want a chance at forever, hiding is no longer an option."]

Lucy is always SOO good at making the mutual pining so incredibly sweet but also so incredibly painful. The angst is somehow romantic and we're okay with that. It blows my mind each and every time. 

The utterly dedication after the MCs get through their angst? The utter devotion? The no-holds-bared out-loud obsession? The pure fluff? The perfect amount of spice? Allllll of the yyyeeesss.

I could live without the live-or-death situations in each book on this series, while in the middle of nature, with nature doing what nature does best. *sigh* I only mean that a little bit. It adds so much danger and suspense to the novel, but it also highlights how fucking competent the MCs are. It also further highlights that dedication and the protection (without smothering the other). 

Am I thrilled that we get a bonus story for Val and Brennan? Hell yes. Am I thrilled that we have to wait months and months for Gabe's HEA? Not so much (tis the life of a reader though).

Trigger Warnings: blackmail, drugging, manipulation, kidnapping, and more. 

#recusingdrmarian #burningforalexander #owningjett #trackingwolfe #holdinggabriel #mademarianlegacy #mademarianlegacyseries #mademarian #mademarianseries #thebillionairebrotherhood #thebillionairebrotherhoodseries # #astervalley #astervalleyseries #foreverwilde #foreverwildeseries #lucylennox #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Claiming His Fate Mate (Wolves of Crescent Springs #1)

"Claiming His Fate Mate" is the first book in Jay Castle's Wolves of Crescent Springs series, which is a Blood Bonded Mates spin-off.

["A reluctant alpha. A fearless human detective. And a mate bond neither man can escape.

Reed
Protecting Crescent Springs from the horrors that lurk in the shadows is a duty I never asked for and didn’t want. It leaves no room for error. And zero room for a mate. Especially not a human.
Harris is fragile. Breakable. He’s a risk I can’t afford. But the moment our eyes meet, the bond snaps into place. And the mate dreams begin. My wolf already knows the truth. Harris is mine.
But if I let him into my world, the monsters circling this town will tear him apart. I’m the Alpha. But I’m not sure I’m strong enough to keep him alive.

Harris
For months, I’ve been haunted. Every night, I’m pulled into dreams of a small mountain town where Reed waits for me in the dark. I wake up exhausted, obsessed, and terrified that I’m losing my mind.
Then I discover that these dreams mean Reed is my destiny. And he’s known it all along.
Reed says his world is too dangerous. But if the wolf thinks I’m going to run, he’s dead wrong. He might be the Alpha, but what he doesn’t know is that I won't stop until he's mine."]

When this first came out, I was heavy in a very confusing mood-reading mood (still sorta am), but I’m trying to get sooommme of my TBR backlog cleared. 

These two were a hot mess. They were a cute hot mess though. They struggled with a lot individually, but together, they were stronger. They helped heal each other's past traumas, they helped build each other's confidence, they helped dream each other's future. Even if there were...several things holding back their HEA. 

I canNOT wait for the next one! And silly me missed the ARC sign-up opportunity, so here's to waiting until the official debut date. 

Trigger Warnings: supernatural violence, on-page temporary death of a MC, depictions of SC depression and suicidal ideation, active-shooter flashback, temporary loss of bodily autonomy due to supernatural threat, grief and survivor's guilt, and more. 

#claiminghisfatedmate  #wolvesofcrescentsprings #wolvesofcrescentspringsseries #jaycastle #bloodbondedmates #bloodbondedmatesseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Apricity (Mafia Babes #3)

Here's "Apricity" by Paulina Ian-Kane. This is the third novel her Mafia Babes series.

["My vendetta comes first.

My only goal in life is to decimate the Enzino Family.
Kidnapping the spoiled mafia prince before his wedding wasn’t what I had in mind. But needs must when the devil drives—I just didn’t know I’d be babysitting his minion.

Art Enzino.
Tiny, feisty, snarky, and completely insane. He walks around wearing skimpy skirts and delicate body chains while shaking his lace-clad butt. I might kill him sooner than planned; to hell with my boss’s schemes. After all, a punishment from him would be less agonizing than spending another moment dodging Art’s flirtatious advances.

I don’t know what his game is, but I won’t bite. I may be Bi, but I don’t share my bed with trash—even if he’s disguised himself as a sexy, elvish-looking twink who smells like sunshine and apples.

Art is still the enemy—son of the man who destroyed my family and brother of the monster who scarred my face and took everything from me.

I’ve waited years to savor my revenge, and now the time has finally come.
I’ll do whatever it takes to return peace to my parents, and no one will stop me. Especially not an overly promiscuous, brainless mafia prince who only cares about indulging and partying."]

I waited for ages and ages for this one, counting down the days until it came out. Then I couldn't read it. I'm not sure if it was the length (worth it) or the angst (worth it) or the triggers (worth it), but I put it off.

This book was sooo good (I still think I like Fly's the best). The hate-hate-hate that somehow, someway, when no one was looking (except Marco and Seb), it turned into hate-love. How many couples do their big grand feelings declarations by saying "I hate-love you"? These two. (While surrounded by blood and dead bodies? Everyone in this series (seriously)). Mafia romances, man.

I canNOT wait for Seb's story. The guy who's going to be Seb's HEA is going to be Fly + Art on crack, but somehow sweet. 

Trigger Warnings: on-page disfigured young man dead body, graphic violence, murder, torture with very gory details, torture of a MC, knife cutting/use, gun use, reference to past torture, obsessed brother/twisted relationship, descriptions of past and present abuse, description of injuries past and present, on-page assault of MC, attempted kidnapping, and more.

#petrichor #pragma #apricity #mafiababes #mafiababesseries #paulinaiankane #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Beast (Legends)

Here's Denver Shaw's "Beast." It's a novel in the multi-author series, Legends ("where National Parks hold secrets—and monsters steal hearts").

["A grumpy cryptid falls for his sunshine human.

I didn’t come to Wisconsin looking for a legend. I came to get out. Out of staged smiles. Out of corporate campaigns. Out of photographing happiness that felt manufactured.

I was supposed to spend two months in the woods. No clients, no deadlines, just open sky, real silence, and nothing that needed editing.

What I find instead… is Calder.

Seven feet of muscle and shadow and ancient forest stillness.

He doesn’t trust humans, but I don’t scare easily. And the more time I spend with him, the harder it is to ignore the way he looks at me. The way his body reacts when I get too close. The way mine answers.

But the forest isn’t as empty as it looks. There’s something else out there. Calder won’t name it—only follows its movement, and keeps himself between me and whatever’s slinking through the trees.

And I’m starting to understand that whatever he’s been guarding me from isn’t the only danger in these woods.

I should leave… but I don’t. Because knowing that doesn’t change anything.

I still want him.

And the worst part?

He wants me too."]

I love how the first book ("Bootylicious") had Elias and the last book ("Beast") has Milo, and they're both brothers finding love off-the-grid with their misunderstood (and incredibly lonely) cryptids. 

This was a slow burn, but the burn was soooo worth it. Watching them start trusting each other, trusting themselves, trusting their feelings. It was worth the wait, all of the soft looks and "only you"s along the way. Their story was achingly sweet. They discovered each other's world's together while slowly (and not so slowly) falling in love. 

Trigger Warnings: danger, violence, non-graphic injuries, themes of isolation, and more.

#beast #denvershaw #bootilious #blade #starlight #maneater #glow #legends #legendsseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks 

Goodbye, August!

August was...a rollercoaster. And I'm telling myself it's all for the best. 

2026 Resolutions:

     (1) Don't stop reading
            (b) Complete Monthly Reading Challenge(s)
     (2) Make memories
     (3) Share love of books/reading
     (4) Be kinder to myself

(1) Book's Read This Month: 48 (a lot of novellas) (though, I might squeeze one more in before midnight).

    (b) Monthly Reading Challenge(s): Shape = Leo. Got some A-Z stuff recorded. Some ARCs. Got a lot of Beat The Backlog done.

(2) August Memories: Dinner with my best friend, then dinner with both of my best friends. Sooo much work (10-14 hours worth of work in 7-8 hours--for two+ weeks). Visited my sister, dog-sat for my sister, and helped my sister prep for a cross-country move (yes, another one). Then my job and I...broke up; it was sudden and it sucked and it wasn't my choice and I was angry and soo upset. So here's to trying to find some new passion.

(3) Posts this month (including this one): 45.

(4) My depression this month really got a go. I was a little low at the beginning of the month, but the end of the month was really bad. I struggled with sadness and fatigue and body aches. It lasted (the really bad parts) for at least a week; it's gotten a little better. But the existential crisis is back. As is the pure hatred of capitalist societies, especially the state of our society. I wasn't eating, then I wasn't eating well. The future is unknown and that's terrifying, but I'm trying to take it a day at a time. I keep telling myself that all of the change recently is a blessing in disguise. 

Anyone still holding onto their resolutions?

Any exciting September reads? Any existing 2026 reads?
Anything I should check out?

#newyearsresolutions #goodbyeaugust #helloseptember #hello2026 #dontstopreading #makememories #shareloveofbooks #shareloveofreading #bekindertomyself #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks