Slick Trip

Here's "Slick Trip" by Lucy Castle.

["19-year-old Cooper has a plan: drive Grandpa's car from Illinois to California and earn some cash. Then Jon—his brother's best friend and Cooper's archenemy—is assigned as his unwilling babysitter. Cooper is livid. Yeah, he used to have a crush on Jon, but that was before Jon did something unforgivable.

Jon knows exactly why keeping his distance from Cooper matters. One reckless decision a year ago proved that some lines should never be crossed. Especially not with Cooper, the one person Jon would walk through fire for. He promised Cooper's family to keep him safe, but if anyone is a danger to Cooper, it's Jon himself.

When biology intervenes and things get heated, will Jon and Cooper finally admit how they really feel?"]

I've been WAITING for this book to come out for months! Social media adds are sooo teasing. And it was worth the wait.

These two were adorable and totally aggravating. They relied heavily on the miscommunication trope, but they eventually did start talking...after some hurt. But after the hurt always come the comfort. And the entire family going "fucking finally" (spoiler alert?). Overall, the only angst was the miscommunication (and haters).

I loved how this universe held a lot of the "traditional" A/O/B lure, but it also created it's own. It was familiar but refreshing.

Quote of the Day (Jon/Cooper): "'I haven't said anything about undying devotion.' // He threw the blanket away, looking indignant. 'Undying devotion is the bare minimum for a relationship with me.'"

Okay QotD Part 2 (Jon/Cooper): "'If I draw a line, are you going to respect it?' // 'No, but I"ll admire it while I step over it'."

I canNOT wait for Jack and Oliver's story!!

Trigger Warnings: religious extremism, prejudice, hate-motivated violence, foster care system, past physical and verbal abuse, on-page violence, and more.

#slicktrip #lucycastle #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Rope Me Down

Here's "Rope Me Down" by N Slater.

["I’ve spent eight months fighting my attraction to my boyfriend’s father, Boone, but when my boyfriend leaves me on the side of the road, all bets are off.

Especially when Boone rescues me, takes me back to the ranch, and shows me exactly what it means to fall apart.

And then he gives me a fantasy—two weeks with him and the three sons who live at the ranch.

A way to completely and utterly fall apart as they give me every filthy, tender thing I’ve been too starved to ask for.

Fourteen days of pure bliss.

We haven’t even truly started, and I don’t want it to end."]

Sometimes you need a happy, cheery contemporary romance to help heal. And sometimes you need something a little dark with a lot of fluff and some serious taboo (not too taboo--Zon still carries it).

I loved the unending communication and checking in. It was open and honest and totally...normal. It was so non-normal for Ash that it seemed abnormal. It was all kinds of sweet and adorable while being filthy and flirty. Four consent kings. 

This book was honestly fabulous. A little different and not conventional, but it was perfect. It did the healing I needed and more. It did the healing Ash needed (and more). 

Trigger Warnings: emotional and psychological abuse from former partner, manipulation, gaslighting, abandonment, physical violence, dubcon, self-worth struggles, recovery from emotional abuse, one scene involving drug driving and a hit and run, physical altercation, and more.

#ropemedown #nslater #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Monstrous Serpent (South Shore Serpents #1)

Here's E.V. Olsen's latest series: South Shore Serpents (a spin-off of the North Short Titans series). The first novel in this series is "Monstrous Serpent."

["I was never anyone's first choice. Until two monsters made me their only one.

One bad decision leads me into the woods and straight into the hands of two masked strangers who chase me through the dark, pin me down, and leave me questioning everything I thought I knew about myself.

Then I learn who they are.

Serpents.

And not just any Serpents, but six-foot-ten Hunter Kincaid and his other half, six-foot-eight Atlas Trembley.

Atlas gets under my skin like a splinter. He fights me, steals from me, and doesn't care that I want to kill him. He's counting on it.

Hunter doesn't speak. He takes. He decides. And he's decided on me.

They even call me Little Titan like I belong to them.

The worst part?

I want to belong to the two hockey players who fight over marshmallows and look at me like I'm the best thing that's ever happened to them.

But Hunter's past isn't done with him. And when it threatens to tear us apart, I learn exactly what kind of monsters my Serpents are."]

These three were hot fucking messes. All of the baggage, all of the pining, none of the communication. Not to mention the (on-purpose and on-accident) hurt/comfort, the rivalry, the baggage (sooo much baggage). At least Blue (*cough* Mr. Smooshy *cough*) was there to bring them all together. 

One complaint: There were so many uses of last names and first names (between these three) that I got a little confused a few times. Then again, that could just be me and my lack of ability to remember names. I do wish I was able to retain past MC names and relationships, because this plot seemed to take place over some of that plot (and future book plot?), and I was lost (I took it with stride).

I canNOT wait for more from this team. More unhinged behavior. More over-the-top HEAs. 

Trigger Warnings: off-page physical and emotional abuse by parents, scars, trauma responses, parental death prior to start of story, murder, graphic child abuse references, mention of serial murder of children, kidnapping, reference to human trafficking, violence, stalking, dubcon, ableism by tertiary character, severe injuries to MC, and more. 

#booksprout #arcs #arcteammember
#monstrousserpent #wickedseroent #southshoreserpents #southshoreserpentsseries #northshoretitans #northshoretitansseries #evolsen #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Royal in Room 3 (Halo House #1)

Here's Gianni Holmes's "The Royal in Room 3." It's a novel in the multi-author series, Halo House ("a shared world that follows vulnerable boys finding shelter, chosen family, and protective Daddies who are ready to love them exactly as they are").

["A fallen Crown Prince.
A convicted criminal.
A scandal neither of us can survive.

I don’t do love. I do caregiving.

Halo House sends me boys who need structure, protection, and someone to teach them how to survive. The arrangement is always simple, always temporary, and never personal.

Until Soren occupies Room 3.

He’s soft, spoiled, and helpless in ways that don’t make sense—until I learn the truth.

The boy who calls me Daddy is the deposed Crown Prince of a European kingdom.

And I’m the ex-convict who should know better than to touch him.

A prince and a felon would be scandal enough. But Soren isn’t just any prince, and I’m not the kind of man a royal family welcomes into the palace.

I should walk away before the world discovers us.

But I’m already in too deep, and letting him go is no longer an option."]

This book was reeeaaallllllllly good. It sucked me in right away. Soren was perfect. He was kind and sweet and oh so lost and hurting, and he made me cry (a lot). He deserved the world, but people kept betraying his trust. 

Luckily he found the Halo House and a sense of self and a group of friends and a support system and love. So much endless love. 

And I usually don’t love the overly happy epilogues, especially the ones that take place ten years later, but this epilogue was perfect. It was the right amount of extra information and HEA cheese and easy laughter without anything behind over the top. 

I cannot wait for the rest of this series. 

Trigger Warnings: mention of death of siblings, parental rejection, homophobia, racism, police profiling, incarceration, wrongful drug-related accusations, forced exile from one's home country, homelessness, SC with scarring as a result of physical abuse, and more. 

#theroyalinroom3 #gianniholmes #theliarinroom5 #thestarinroom7 #thegoalieinroom1 #halohouse #halohouseseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Starting a New Life (Cedarwood Pack #2)

YESSS. I've been waaaiiiting for the second book in this series for two years. Literally. Here is Ray Celar's "Starting a New Life." Its the second novel in her latest series: Cedarwood Pack.

["Would you rather keep running from an entire pack of wolves or let just one into your life—and your heart? 

Nix
My coven betrayed me. Even worse, they tried to sell me to a wolf pack to become their slave.
After five months on the run and constantly feeling the pack’s metaphorical breath on the back of my neck, I can’t do it anymore.
Hiding in the Cedarwood Pack’s territory was supposed to be a brief stop. Staying here is risky. What if they find and enslave me? If I stay, it’s just a matter of time until I’m discovered, but I don’t think I have it in me to keep running.
Will I lose my freedom after all, or is the Alpha my chance for a fresh start?

Gray
Weird things are happening in my territory, and my wolf and I don’t like it. First, the barrier started suddenly getting stronger even though it shouldn’t be able to do that, and now stuff is going missing. We’re a pack, a family. Family doesn’t steal from one another, yet it keeps happening.
So when I discover a strange mage on my territory who’s apparently been here for months, I snap.
Throwing him in a cell might be the biggest mistake of my life. I didn’t recognize the mate bond in time, and now he’s terrified of me and my wolf. I have no idea how to make him see that I’d never harm him.
Will helping him free other mages show him who I really am, or have I lost my chance for good?"]

The hurt comfort on this one was sooo strong. The angst was intense. The feels were everywhere. I cried for the first...many chapters. These two had me aching. All of the pining but the hurt and the fear and the anger and the misunderstandings were stronger. I wanted to shake them (Levi wanted to shake them).

When they started to trust each other, when they started getting closer (physically and emotionally), it was perfect. Together, they were adorable and powerful and a long time coming. They stood by each other, supported each other, defended each other. They made each other (and the pack) stronger. 

I can't wait for the next book. I just hope it's not another two full years. *fingers crossed* 

Trigger Warnings: mentions of slavery, graphic descriptions of violence, murder (of bad guys), mentions of past child abuse, and more. 

#enteringanewworld #startinganewlife #writinganewchapter #cedarwoodpack #cedarwoodpackseries #raycelar #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Ruined (Wrecked & Wrong #2)

Here's Ally Avery's "Ruined." It's the second novel in her newest series, Wrecked & Wrong.

["He was once the man who tucked me into bed, kissed my mom goodnight, and promised to keep us safe.
But when he walked out of my mom’s life, he walked out of mine, too.
He disappeared. Ruined everything we had.
Then, through a chance encounter you might call fate, we meet again.
He’s back in town, and he says he wants to make up for the time we lost. Take care of me again, like he used to.
I want that, but I also want him in a different way than when I was younger.
It’s dirty.
Wrong.
Inappropriate as hell.
But I crave it more than I crave my next breath.
Even if it’s wrong.
Even if he’ll leave me ruined."]

Well, I picked this book because I thought there were be less angst in here than the other books on my TBR-short-list. And this book made me cry anyway. a lot. 

There was relationship angst. There was family angst. There was what-is-my-life angst. There was past emotional trauma angst. There was...a lot of angst. Overall, it was all minor by themselves, and maybe they only felt big all combined because my life is a hot mess at the moment, but it was not the easy book I was looking for. 

Don't get me wrong. This book was glorious. And on a "normal" day, the angst would have been just right. These two had a push/pull and hurt/comfort that was painfully beautiful. Their old dynamic came back to them so easily, but with some new relationship upgrades.  

Overall, this was an easy read (yes, I realize that I say that after talking about how angsty it was for me). The chapters ended with a smidge of clarity but just enough plot to put you forward and want more. Their relationship, while inconvenient and not easy for their family to accept, was simple. Their love story...a little rocky, but filled with so much communication and genuine care. 

I want more of the twins. Nico and Luca were a lot, but they were amazing friends. I can't wait for them to get their forbidden HEAs. And Hunter, mysterious fucker.  

Trigger Warnings: past parental abandonment/rejection, family conflict and disapproval, past parental infidelity, and more.

#bruised #ruined #wreckedandwrong #wreckedandwrongseries #allyavery #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

August'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 August's Book Shape Challenge! Leo!!

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