The Lies We Tell Ourselves (Without Limits #1)

Continuing on a TBR/Beat-The-Backlog kick (and ignoring my ARCs kick). Here's "The Lies We Tell Ourselves" by Skyla Raines. It's the first novel in her Without Limits series. Because apparently, I'm also crossing off a lot of the bully-romance books I have TBRed. 

["𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝.
𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞.
𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬.

𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞
ʙʀɪᴀʀ ᴜ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴍᴇᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ꜰʀᴇꜱʜ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛ, ᴀ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ Qᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴀ ɴɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇ.
ᴏɴᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴡɪꜱᴛᴇᴅ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴀᴛᴇ.
ᴀ ꜰʀᴇᴀᴋ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʏ ᴡʜᴏ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴏᴡɴᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ꜱᴇɴᴛ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ꜱᴘɪɴɴɪɴɢ ᴏꜰꜰ ɪᴛꜱ ᴀxɪꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴍʏ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ ɪɴ ᴀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛ.

𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐧
ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟᴇ: ᴛʀᴀɪɴ, ᴘʟᴀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪɴ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴍɪꜱꜱᴛᴇᴘ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅʀᴏᴡɴ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ'ꜱ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ.
ᴀ ɢʜᴏꜱᴛ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍʏ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ ʜᴏʟᴅꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋᴇʏ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ʀᴜɪɴ, ᴀ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟᴇᴅ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ʜɪᴍ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ.
ɪ'ʟʟ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʜɪꜱ ᴡᴏʀꜱᴛ ɴɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ ꜱᴀꜰᴇ.
ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪꜰ ɪᴛ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋꜱ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴏꜰ ᴜꜱ."]

God, what a roller coaster. That was a beautiful mess of fear and meanness and fierce devotion and unbridled chemistry. They connected (reconnected) instantly, like they did all those years ago..until fear and anxiety got ahold of Dillion.

Jamie is a ray of fucking sunshine, for everyone and everything, except himself. He was resilient and brave and so fucking kind. 

Their journey back together wasn’t easy, sooo many people and circumstances got in the way, but it made them stronger.

Trigger Warnings: mental health rep, bullying, homophobia, off-page memories of domestic violence, memories of physical childhood abuse, drugging, kidnap, attempted murder, beating, violence, and more.

#thelieswetellourselves #thelieswebelieve #liesofomission #theliesoftemptation #skylaraines #withoutlimits #withoutlimitsseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Prince of the Barbarian (Not-So-Savage Barbarians #6)

Here's Amy Padilla's "Prince of the Barbarian." It's the fifth official novel in her Not-So-Savage Barbarians series.

["There’s always a point in someone’s life where they regret the decisions of their past. Take me for instance. I skipped my lessons as often as I could get away with, figuring I’d always have someone with me to translate or watch my back. As a prince of Al Nuzem, I was very rarely alone. But when one of my own guards stabbed me in the back and had me handed off to the barbarians, my inability to speak even the common tongue meant I couldn’t tell them I wasn’t what they thought. And no amount of fighting was going to get them to bring me home. Not until they learned to communicate with me. It wasn’t going to be the other way around. They’d learn eventually."]

I thought I would be annoyed with Zakai. Granted, he was a brat, but he had a good heart and just wanted to be loved and cared for and paid attention to. He wanted to be important and special to someone (and who doesn't?).

Uttin didn't know what he wanted, but it certainly wasn't a tribute who couldn't (wouldn't) talk while he was supposed to be training (and not sure if he wanted to be training) to take over the clan. Deep down, he want something of his, something he could call his own, something that no one else had (something that didn't necessarily come with loads of responsibility).

Together, they were adorable as hell. Fitting together perfectly, matching each other in ways they didn't know they needed. 

And this book was the PERFECT ending to an absolutely perfect series. Sweet and sassy, filled with all kinds of new loves and found family, new alliances and new homes on the horizon. Not to mention that last chapter (what's better revenge than living your best life (okay...torture/murder with a semi-villainous monologue is close)). 

#theunexpectedbarbarian #thebarbarianstribute #savedbyabarbarian #seduingabarbarian #thebarbariansclaim #thephysiciansbarbarian #thebarbarianprince #notsosavagebarbarians #notsosavagedbarbariansseries #amypadilla #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Goodbye, January!

January was a blur of cold and wind and snow and more cold. Also, Christmas seems aggges ago.

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.

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

(2) January Memories: I saw Clue at the theater (sooo good!) and dinner with my mama, my grandma, and my aunt. Cleaned my grandma's. So many record breaking cold days. SO much snow (like sooo much). A looot of read though, a lot a lot.

(3) Posts this month (including this one): 46.

(4) Quite a few days of telling myself I'll get up at a decent time and then sleeping in; my bed it just so warm and the world is cold and mean. A few depressive moments, but nothing crazy. The reading helped. My anxiety was high, trying to juggle so very many, many work projects and life and weather. Lots of self-care moments (I made some lego flowers today).

Anyone still holding onto their resolutions?

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

#newyearsresolutions #goodbyejanuary #hellofebruary #hello2026 #dontstopreading #makememories #shareloveofbooks #shareloveofreading #bekindertomyself #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Crossed Lines (Close Quarters #3)

Continuing on a TBR/Beat-The-Backlog kick (and ignoring my ARCs kick). Here's "Crossed Lines" by Sierra Bennett. It's the third novella in her Close Quarters series. Now sure when I read the first one, but GoodReads says I did so...

["Spencer Hall is everything I shouldn’t want—star soccer captain, my roommate, and my best friend.

Luke

I’ve worked hard to get to the Collegiate semi-finals and make my dad proud by achieving what he never could. But everything changes when I have to share a dorm with my gorgeous best friend.

We’ve always been competitive, making harmless bets with dumb forfeits. He knows exactly how to get under my skin, and his constant flirting makes my heart race in ways I can’t explain.

As far as I know, I'm 100% straight. But when a bet turns into a kiss, my walls start to crumble. One kiss, and now I’m hooked. His touch ignites a fire in me I’ve never felt before, and I’m terrified of getting burned.

Winning the semi-finals has been my dream since I was a kid. I can’t afford any distractions—but Spencer is impossible to ignore.

The more we cross the line between friends, the less I want to stop."]

Idiots. Idiots who kiss and fuck and dare each other into more and more and more instead of thinking through (let alone talking through) their feelings. They’ve been half in love with each other for years, only falling more and more, but the individual insecurities keep them from understanding what they truly feel. And when these bets and these kisses start, it’s feel oh so natural (and looks oh so fucking adorable)c you wonder what took them so long (idiots). 

Trigger Warnings: internalized homophobia, past death of a parent, mention of past abuse, and more.

#snowangel #motelfever #crossedlines #closequarters #closequartersseries #sierrabennett #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Motel Fever (Close Quarters #2)

Continuing on a TBR/Beat-The-Backlog kick (and ignoring my ARCs kick). Here's "Motel Fever" by Sierra Bennett. It's the second novella in her Close Quarters series. Now sure when I read the first one, but GoodReads says I did so...

["I’ve always been obsessed with my best friend. Now we’re stuck together for three days in a small-town motel… And we have to share a bed.

Callum

Driving home for spring break with my best friend should have been just a straightforward trip back to our families. But when my pickup truck breaks down in the middle of nowhere, we’re left stranded at a small-town motel with only one bed.

We’ve been inseparable since junior year of high school, sharing everything—late-night talks, our deepest secrets, dreams—except the one thing I've been hiding for the past five

I’m hopelessly obsessed with him.

I can’t get him out of my mind, even when we’re around each other. But if he ever discovers the truth, it could destroy our friendship. The longer we're stuck together, the harder it becomes to keep my feelings hidden, and the closer I come to risking everything we've built."]

A little cliche, but a lot sweet. This story was about trusting yourself and being brave and second shots at communication. It was about memories and togetherness and doing something that scares you.

#snowangel #motelfever #crossedlines #closequarters #closequartersseries #sierrabennett #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Ultimate Goal (Brooklyn Blades #1)

Here's Felice Steven's latest "The Ultimate Goal." It's the first book in her Brooklyn Blades series. 

["Rip
In the fifteen years I’ve played for the Brooklyn Blades, I’ve won all the awards except the most important one. The Stanley Cup.
But my annoying ex-boyfriend is the team’s goalie, and the paparazzi is loving it. What’s worse is, my absentee father decides to make an appearance and won’t leave me alone.
I’m ignoring it all. My ultimate goal is to win the Cup.
Then my best friend’s younger brother, Adrian, shows up to interview me for the sports segment of the evening news. He’s nervous and unsure, so I have to help him. We grew up together,but I barely noticed him then.
I’m definitely noticing him now.

Adrian
Our sports reporter is injured, so I have to cover the hockey game when my ultimate goal is to be a hard news reporter. Not only am I camera shy, but I know nothing about sports. Sure, I know Rip Tremaine—I’ve had a crush on him for years. Not that he’s ever noticed me.
Maybe I can fake it.
Nope, I can’t.
But Rip saves my interview, and now the station wants me to follow the team. With my job on the line, Rip comes up with a Get my own sports show to prove I can be on camera. I’ll pretend to be his boyfriend, and no one will know, not even my brother.
I’ll have unlimited access to the team.
And Rip.
We can do this. We’re professionals. He’s teaching me all about hockey…and kissing. And I’m helping him navigate his father’s betrayal.
Except neither one of us is pretending anymore. And our ultimate goal now is to win it the Cup, my job, and love."]

TO BE UPDATED SOON

#gayromancereviews #grr #arcs #arcteammember
#theultimategoal #brooklynblades #brooklynbladesseries #unpredictable #unpredictableseries #felicestevens #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Win You Over

Continuing on a TBR/Beat-The-Backlog kick (and ignoring my ARCs kick). Here's "Win You Over" by CS Autumn.

["𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧
My life changed when my father died, and in the time since, I’ve learned to accept that my voice will never be the same. There are years and a literal ocean between the boy I was and the man I am now.
Scholarship student.
Loyal best friend.
Talented fighter.
The only thorn in my side is Remington Langford. Cocky, popular, far too handsome for his own good, and insistent on calling me his friend.
When a lost bet turns into a trip to Italy as his fake boyfriend, we grow closer than we ever intended, and it’s not long before the lines between what’s for show and what’s not blur.
Something not everyone is happy about.

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧
Holden Booker is a mystery—quiet, strong, guarded, and seemingly immune to my charm.
Not only do I want to know 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 about him, but I need to show him he can trust me.
I don’t intend to fall in love with him. I don’t even do relationships, but he’s everything I never knew I was looking for.
Faking our relationship is impossible when everything we feel is so 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭.
Enough to have someone I trust out to destroy us, breaking my heart along the way."]

I needed something sweet and addictive and wholesome and relatively angst-less (well…the romance was low angst).

They were so fucking adorable, even if Holden wanted to push Remi off a cliff. They fit. That feeling of contentment and safety and silliness was there from the beginning. It was understanding and soft and kind (even if the dirty talk was hot as hell). 

Though that prologue was rough as hell. 

Trigger Warnings: bullying, mentions of death of a parent by suicide, violence, anxiety, PTSD, and more.

#winyouover #csautumn #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks