Relentlessly Vengeful Ghost (Mafia Bound #5)

Here's "Relentlessly Vengeful Ghost" by K.M. Neudhol. It's the the fifth novel in her Mafia Bound series. 

["I didn’t know the house I broke into belonged to a mafioso, and now my revenge arc is a lot more complicated.

7 years ago, I died. Nameless, forgotten, left in a ditch after an overdose. I don’t know who saved me or why. God? Satan? A good Samaritan whose name I'll never know? It doesn't really matter.

I don’t know who I used to be. My name, my past, they were buried. But somehow, I'm still here.

I'm not the only one the Sleepless Reapers have used and abused, but I will be the last, if I have anything to say about it.

I don’t need the attention of a mafioso. Even if Alessio is fun to play with, and even more fun to make beg. But I don’t have time for his devotion or his pretty, breathless pleas.

I have a score to settle, and I can't rest until every last Sleepless Reaper is six feet under.

Alessio makes me feel something other than hatred for the first time that I can remember. He makes me hope one day I might be more than a ghost driven by vengeance. He can’t pull me out of the darkness, but maybe we can keep each other company in the shadows until all our demons are exorcized."]

WHY did I not read this the moment it came out? 

The instant chemistry, the instant connection. The spice, the desire. The mutual obsession. I'm dead. Thes two were just so freaking perfect for each other. 

The plot twist? I...did not see that coming. I forgot about that plot-line from the one previous book. Did I still love it (and cry)? Yes, yes I did. 

Bring me some mafia-boss + mafia-boss. 

Trigger Warnings: depiction of overdose, character reflecting sexual assault, lingering trauma, violence, murder, discussion of addiction recovery and drug addictions, and more.

#deadlylitlesparrow #beautifullysavagebutterfly #unhingedlittleangel #desperatelydelicateviper #relentlesslyvengefulghost #devilinarmani #mafiabound #mafiaboundseries #kmneuhold #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Lynx's Ruin (The Wilde Men #3)

Here's Saxon James's "Lynx's Ruin." It's the third novel in her new series, The Wilde Men. 

["Sasha
I'm prey. Weak little helpless prey. At least, that's what I let the wild men in Wilde's End think. I haven't trusted them one bit since I've been stranded here, and after Lynx tries to kill me, I know my instincts were correct.
At least until I'm forced to spend more time with the machete-wielding animal. He's got a past he won't talk about, and a protective streak that anyone else would find suffocating.
Anyone but me.
And when he extends that protection to me, it feels better than I expect it to.
I still want out of The End, but maybe I can have a little fun first.

Lynx
I'm a predator. When I was young, I promised myself that no one would ever get past my defenses again. People call me scary and unhinged, but they can think what they like so long as my town is safe.
The influx of outsiders to Wilde's End already had me on edge, and then in stumbles Sasha. A small, weak, walking tragedy. I have no idea how he's survived this long, but something about him calls to me. Everything from his pretty eyes to the way he bites back at me and fights battles he has no chance of winning.
I'd assumed he was prey.
But the more I push, the more I feel like I'm the one being hunted."]

I couldn't help myself. I skipped book two and went to this one...sorry, not sorry. Never thought I'd do something like that for Lynx. "'The scary, psycho forest dweller has a soft side, and I think I’m tapping into it.'" It's making me feel a bit gooey inside too, Sasha. 

Who hunted who? Who protected who? Who brought life and purpose back into who's world? 

Utter angst and accidental-miscommunication perfection! 

Trigger Warnings: self-harm, mention of children dying (past event and off-page), past dub-con, and more. 

#wildesend #ziggysvoice #lynxsruin #foleysprize #thewildemen #thewildemenseries #saxonjames #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Octopi My Heart

Here is "Octopi My Heart" by Amanda Meuwissen.

["Maybe fairy tales are worth believing in...

Daren Montgomery is a fisherman in his small hometown on the coast of Nova Scotia. His heart is as empty as the waters in winter—until he meets Lilo, a beautiful creature of the ocean depths that Daren never believed could be real.

Their courtship may be a fairy tale, but the gentle curl of a tentacle or wet kiss in magically warm waters has Daren dreaming of summer and a storybook ending."]

Mermaid meets octopus meets selkie meets puppy. Lilo was fucking perfect! I’m obsess with him  so was Daren. ;) 

This was just a hot mess of cute and cuter. Emphasis on the hot mess (they both were). Very little angst. Not too much spice. Tons of lore. 

I kinda (not so kinda) want a sequel get Curtis’s HEA now..

#octopimyheart #amandameuwissen #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Project Manager's Guide to Overworked Associates (Spellbound #2)

Here's Amy Padilla's latest: "The Project Manager's Guide to Overworked Associates." This is the second novel in her Spellbound series, which is a spin-off from her Charmed Away Temp Agency series. 

["Louis has spent his entire life proving people wrong. If becoming a successful research engineer means long hours, missed weekends, and surviving on far too little sleep, so be it.

Unfortunately, Arthur disagrees.

As a project manager, Arthur believes in things like breaks, healthy boundaries, and not working yourself into the ground. So when he notices a brilliant human researcher running on caffeine and stubbornness, he takes it upon himself to intervene.

Louis just wants to work. Arthur just keeps showing up.

What begins as professional concern quickly becomes something more as Arthur finds himself drawn to the fiercely independent researcher. And despite all his protests, Louis is starting to rely on Arthur’s steady presence, warm purrs, and unwavering support more than he’d like to admit."]

This book was glorious. Granted, I wasn't sure about Louis at first. He wasn't an antagonist per-say in the previous book, but he wasn't necessarily an all around super star (then again, that was a very biased POV on Louis). Louis was still hectic as fuck, but his grumpiness and stubbornness quickly grew on me.

So did Arthur. He was a little pushy, but he meant well (all of the well). And he only pushed people towards being better and none of it was selfish.

Well some of Arthur's feelings for Louis were selfish, but can you blame him? I mean, it did take Arthur a bit to figure out why he was being selfish towards Louis. But wow. These two were adorable. A little angsty, a little spicy, and sooo much fluff. 

#theresearchersguidetounexpectedmates #theprojectmanagersguidetooverworkedassociates #spellbound #spellboundseries #charmedawaytempagency #charmedawaytempagencyseries #amypadilla #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Seducing Sasquatch

Here is "Seducing Sasquatch" by Kennedy Esther.

["Blake
My life is officially over!
My time on the run is ending, with my father forcing me to become a lawyer for his own interests. I have no money left, nowhere else to go, and no one to turn to. What awaits me is a life that I have no control over, nor anyway to escape.
Yet my last week of freedom doesn’t go as planned. With a freak snowstorm and a handsome mountain man rescuing me, my life is completely flipped upside down. I want him. I want the life he promises, but I can't possibly turn against my father.

Arden
At thirty-eight years old, I've given up on the idea that I’ll ever find my mate. My mountaineering shop has been my only joy in life.
Yet on the last day of the season, he walks through my doors, with dirty blond hair and hazel eyes, Blake is the man I've been waiting for. It's undeniable he’s my mate, but something haunts him. It clings to his shoulders like a dark cloud that won’t pass. I only have one week to show him just what it’s like to be loved. And hopefully, he’ll want to stay."]

This book was SO freaking cute! Love at first sight, instant chemistry, easy comradery. They communicated and communicated again. They supported each other. They had similar dreams and hopes. I giggled and smiled to myself sooo much during this book. It was an utter delight. The spice was amazing, too. All around, this book was just perfection. 

Trigger Warnings: off-page death of a parent, past abusive parent, trauma and recovery themes, on-page parental disownment, and more. 

#seducingsasquatch  #kennedyesther #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Red (Fairest of Them All #2)

I have sooo many ARCs due right now; so naturally, I'm avoiding them. Here is Harper B Cole, Trisha Linde, and Colbie Dunbar's "Red." It's the second novel in their Fairest of Them All series (a spin-off-ish series/in the same universe as the Once Upon an MM Romance series). It's a Red Riding Hood retelling. 

["All the better to eat you with...

Alpha Aran has always been the biggest of his brothers, the oldest, the most responsible, and therefore, he’s also the one tasked with running the family business, Gruff Construction. It only feels natural to take care of everyone in his life, even some distant relative he barely knows. Sure, he doesn’t mind bringing chicken soup to his foster mother’s estranged father in the middle of the woods… the woods filled with the sound of howling wolves… Nothing weird about that. What he isn’t expecting, though, is finding someone who wants to take care of him for a change.

Omega wolf shifter Oscar has been waiting to meet his match… or rather, his mate. No one in his old pack piqued his interest, and he thought a new pack might offer more enticing options. Except it’s just more of the same. His biological clock is ticking, and it doesn’t help that he’s become the de facto den father, surrounded by everyone else’s babies. For once, he wants to take care of someone he can call his own. However, no one is more surprised than he is when he stumbles on a mouth-watering human stranger in the forest, and he finds himself tempted to take a bite."]

Oof, talk about confusion and miscommunication and hurt/comfort. Though I guess it didn’t really last all that long. 

But two men who couldn’t understand what was right in front of them? One who should have just listened a smidge  harder to his wolf  could have made it much easier on both of them. 

Looking back, I guess Oscar couldn't have been Little Red if he was the in-real-life wolf, but the realization of Aran being Little Red was sooo fucking adorable. 

#cinders #red #seared #rebel #slumber #justright #harperbcole #trishalinde #colbiedunbar #fairestofthemall #fairestofthemallseries #onceuponanMMromance #onceuponanMMromanceseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Goodbye, October!

October was...a lot. It was a lot of good and a lot of stress and a lot of sleep, but overall, it definitely fell on the positive side of months. 

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: 36 (a lot of novellas) (though, I might squeeze one more in before midnight).

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

(2) October Memories: I started working at the daycare again; all of the cuddles and Abba's and germs. But I'm back with some of the people and family that I loved and missed. The touch-starved-ness is healing. Trunk or Treat at the school plus a Halloween party. The Jonas Brother's concert! God, that was amazing. I was third row. The pictures didn't even do anywhere near the justice of my view and the show. I sweeeaaar I made eye-contact with Nick (and my stomach fell through my butt).

(3) Posts this month (including this one): 37.

(4) Lots of cuddles from toddlers, which I missed. But also lots of germs and stress, which I didn't miss. A lot of naps and weird sleeps and weirder dreams. But I'm happy. Have had a few moments of the Sunday Blues, but nothing too blue overall depression wise. Getting "exercise" at work, and my body feels it (god, does my body feel it). Eating...okay. Not great but not totally horrible. 

Anyone still holding onto their resolutions?

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

#newyearsresolutions #goodbyeoctober #hellonovember #hello2026 #dontstopreading #makememories #shareloveofbooks #shareloveofreading #bekindertomyself #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks