Saturday, June 20, 2026

Double Dared (The Boys of Elmwood U #2)

Here's Hayden Hall's "Double Dared." It's the second novel in his new series, The Boys of Elmwood U.

["I'm not the kind of guy who turns down a dare. This is a lifestyle choice. I have committed to it fully, proudly, and without a single second thought.

So when Greg pointed across the bar at a man reading poetry alone in a black turtleneck and said "get him to agree to a date," I was halfway out of the booth before the sentence finished.

Enter film student, built like an athlete, reads like a scholar, and has clearly never once left the house without putting on a fashion show for strangers. He saw through my opening line before I finished delivering it. He said yes to the date before I could ask. He also had his own agenda entirely.

His ex had moved on faster than he was prepared for. I needed a dare to brag about. So we struck a three weeks of convincing, mutually beneficial fake dating. His ex would reconsider. My fraternity brothers would think the dare had backfired so spectacularly that I was, apparently, in love with a man.

Easy.

Except when his hand settled on the small of my back in a crowded market and my brain went somewhere it had no business going. Except when he leaned in close to say something and I forgot what language was. Except when I caught myself watching his mouth and had to physically relocate my eyes.

I never met a dare I couldn't handle. I just never expected one to handle me right back."]


TO BE UPDATED SOON


#gayromancereviews #grr #arcs #arcteammember
#extracredit #theboysofelmwoodu #theboysofelmwooduseries #haydenhall #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Attraction (Mobsters + Billionaires #3)


Here's "Attraction" by Kelly Fox. It's the third novel in the Mobsters + Billionaires series, which is within the Wrecked universe. 

["I run a high-end escort service. And I'm in love with a virgin. It doesn't make any sense, this attraction between us. I'm a violent Mafia Don, and Ford is a nervous, perfectly bow-tied, sexily bespectacled money nerd.

But he's had my heart the first night I laid eyes on him, and while he keeps me at arm's length, he's never left my orbit. He's as bound to me as I am to him.

Hell, I'm becoming a better man because of him.

I'll be as patient as I need to be to win him over. The one thing I'm not willing to do, however, is let the man who put the fear in his eyes get away with it.

I don't care how powerful or wealthy he is—I will tear down the world to make Ford feel safe enough to love me."]

YES. All of the yes!

These two might have danced around each other for longer than we wanted, longer than their friends wanted, but the fall wasn't angsty or too piney. It was sweet and safe. It was friendship with some flirting. It was slow dancing and building trust. It was kind with just a hint of more. 

Ford being all sweet and nerdy and incredibly smart. And Luca going all badass while being sooo incredibly adorable (the gentleman mobster). 

Hehe, now off to Hopper. ;) At least Liam is already soft for our sociopath. 

Trigger Warnings: violence, murder, threats, toxic parents, on-page description of attempted sexual assault, talk of human/sex trafficking, and more.

#extradition #protection #attraction #distraction #mobsterandbillionaires #mobsterandbillionairesseries #wrecked #wreckedseries #wreckeduniverse #kellyfox #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Friday, June 19, 2026

June'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 June's Book Shape Challenge! Gemini!!

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


The Weekend Boyfriend (Rent-A-Boyfriend #1)

Here's MM Farmer's newest series, Rent-A-Boyfriend. This is "The Weekend Boyfriend."

["They agreed to play pretend. Nobody warned them how good they'd be at it.

When Javier shows up at billionaire Desmond White's office dressed as a glittery Cupid to sing an embarrassing telegram from Desmond's ex, he expects an awkward job and a quick exit. What he doesn't expect is to end up in Desmond's car, then at his side at a concert, then somehow in his bed on Valentine's Day, playing at being a couple who've been together for years. It's a very good game. A little too good.

Desmond has spent months extricating himself from a toxic ex who knows exactly where all the bodies are buried, both professionally and personally. The last thing he needs is to catch real feelings for a charming, gorgeous man whose business is falling apart around him, and who would walk away in an instant if he ever learned the truth about Desmond's past. So they make a deal: weekends only. Sundays they can pretend to be deeply, happily in love. Mondays, they're on their own.

But between a vindictive ex with a grudge, a crumbling talent agency, a high-stakes ethics scandal, and a stolen afternoon at Kew Gardens that neither of them can stop thinking about, the line between the performance and the real thing is getting dangerously blurry. Because Javier has never felt more like himself than when he's pretending. And Desmond is starting to suspect the only thing worth keeping in his life is the one thing he agreed to give back every Sunday night."]


TO BE UPDATED SOON


Trigger Warnings:

#arcs #arcteammember
#theweekendboyfriend #alikelystory #rentaboyfriend #merryfarmer #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Wanting My Husband (Love Without Labels)

Here's "Wanting My Husband" by Lexi Amber and Bec Benson. Its a novel in their Love Without Labels universe/series.

["John
I’ve never met anyone who bothers me more than Chad Sinclair.
He’s always smiling, always happy – excited about life in a way I truly cannot comprehend. A spoiled city guy who acts like he’s never heard the word no before.
I can’t believe I drunkenly married him in Vegas.
Or that he showed up at my farmhouse, ready to give up his whole life to play happy husbands with me in the middle of nowhere.
Chad might have convinced himself we’re meant to be, but I gave up on that kind of future a long time ago.

Chad
I’ve always believed things work out for me – and getting my husband to admit he wants me is no exception.
John Sullivan might be grumpy, closed-off, and determined to pretend this means nothing, but he still chose me. He married me. He said I do, and I’m not ready to let that go just because he’s pretending he is.
He can say there’s no way we can work, but I’m stubborn enough to stay and keep proving him wrong."]


TO BE UPDATED SOON


Trigger Warnings:

#forewordpr #arc #arcteammember
#therealityofwantinghim #therealityofwantingmybully #wantinghim #therealityofwantingthem #lovewithoutlines #lovewithoutlinesseries #becbenson #lexiamber #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Protection (Mobsters + Billionaires #2)


Here's "Protection" by Kelly Fox. It's the second novel in the Mobsters + Billionaires series, which is within the Wrecked universe. Technically, I'm supposed to read the first Wild Heart Ranch book next/before this, according to Kelly's website but...I couldn't help myself.

["I wait for the signal at crosswalks. I pay my taxes on time. And, despite my association with a certain Mafia family, I run a clean business providing security for Manhattan's wealthy elite.

I don't break the law.

Dr. Madhuban Laghari—Mads—is my newest protectee and my biggest problem. He fights his security protocols at every turn and makes me question all of my carefully crafted rules. Especially the one about not falling for the world's most adorable billionaire.

Every time we go back and forth, I fall a little harder.

More dangerous than our sexy banter is the fact that the threats against him are starting to escalate.

He doesn't want to face the reality that he's got a stalker tracking his every move, not to mention the Russian government trying to steal his technology. The closer we get, the more I know I'll do anything to protect him.

If his enemies dare to put a hand on my billionaire, they'll discover how Mafia I can get."]

These two were equal parts adorable and painful. It was fluffy and sweet and protective (sooo protective) and slightly obsessive. But it was also mutual pining and angst and doing-the-right-thing. All of their friends and family were supportive as hell, pushing them together after they almost fell apart.

Not to mention everyone gathering (literally sooo many people) to protect Mads. Luca and his friends, Charlie and his friends, Anders and his friends--plus a few extra people thrown in there for good measure.

I don't know if Hopper being besties with Anders is good and hilarious on all fronts or a danger to everyone's sanity. Mostly the first one...until we got to the Arms-Knives-Guns part. *shudder* Though loooved seeing the Guardians guys!

Trigger Warnings: stalking, violence, murder, threats, toxic parents, kidnapping, and more.

#extradition #protection #attraction #distraction #mobsterandbillionaires #mobsterandbillionairesseries #wrecked #wreckedseries #wreckeduniverse #kellyfox #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Extradition (Mobsters + Billionaires #1)


Here's "Extradition" by Kelly Fox. It's the first novel in the Mobsters + Billionaires series, which is within the Wrecked universe. 

["Fun fact: You can take the man out of the Mafia and put him in a fancy Manhattan high-rise, but that man’s always gonna have a little bit of mobster in him. Which probably explains why I told off my arrogant billionaire CEO, Rand Wolfe, in front of the entire company.

After our little exchange goes viral, I’m left with the choice of letting my father’s men toss Wolfe’s disrespectful ass into the Hudson or helping him escape. Long story short, I’m hiding out in the billionaire’s penthouse with my father’s extradition order hanging over my head.

Only…Wolfe’s nothing like I thought he’d be. This wealthy, powerful man is actually interested in what I have to say, and his alpha-hole façade falls apart completely when we’re alone.

God, he comes alive under my hands.

With other families getting involved and my father’s threats looming in the background, am I mob enough to save the man I’m falling for?"]

Turns out, this one was on my list for a while. Not sure if I skipped it because of the whole interconnected-universe thing or the perceived angst. Mistake. Big. 

This book had angst, but not nearly as much as I had though. It was beautiful and caring all while being loud. It was happiness and comfort and breaking our of your cage and finding your place. It was instant chemistry and perfectly aligned spice and kismet, even if that original meet-cute was...less cute and more ugly.

I canNOT wait for more from this series!

Trigger Warnings: violence, murder, threats, toxic parents, and more.

#extradition #protection #attraction #distraction #mobsterandbillionaires #mobsterandbillionairesseries #wrecked #wreckedseries #wreckeduniverse #kellyfox #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Double Dared (The Boys of Elmwood U #2)

Here's Hayden Hall's "Double Dared." It's the second novel in his new series, The Boys of Elmwood U. ["I'm no...