Always the Villain (Vitale Brothers #6)

Here's Brea Alepoú and Skyler Snow's "Always the Villain." It's the sixth and final novel in their Vitale Brother's series. 

["Cesare Vitale

Man. Myth. Legend.

Or at least that’s how the world views me.

They’re not wrong; I would give anything to take back my throne. To have power again. Even if it means breaking all of my already weak familial ties.

Until I meet the one man that makes me pause.

Raphael is everything I have never wanted to admit I crave. Someone who sees the monster and still wants me just the same. But there's more to Raphael than meets the eye. Can he be trusted?

In the midst of Vitale chaos I’m forced to ask myself something I’ve never doubted before. What's more important?

Power? Or love?"]

I waited sooooo long for this book to come out. Counted the days. Then it was here, and I just...couldn't. I wasn't ready for the eventual betrayal and hurt and tears. I wasn't ready for the heartbreak and confusion and violence. It took me a while to get there.

These two were...a lot. Tense and non-trusting and hurt/comfort around every corner. There was pining and cruel words and angst and hidden fluff. It was all so beautifully torturous. It was just..so much. It was a struggle, and I did cry a lot, but in the end, almost too late, everything ended more than well. 

Still, Benito and Harlow will always be my favorite. These two were a close second. 

Trigger Warnings: gore, blood, violence, torture, death, light stalking, dub-con, manipulation, death of a parent, past child abuse, trauma, homophobic remarks, and more.

#takemeapart #paidinfull #sayido #neversaynever #mafiabreakin #enditall #alwaysthevillain #vitalebrothers #vitalebrothersseries #breaalepoú #skylersnow #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Duskborn (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #4)

Here's "Duskborn" by Blake R Wolfe. It's the fourth novel in his Widdershins Supernatural Academy series. 

["A forgotten witch. A dark elf prince. A bond written in the stars… and a love forbidden by the crown.

I was born into destiny—the Twilight prince with white hair and violet skin, heir to a kingdom that never lets me forget who I am. At Widdershins Academy, I’ve tasted magic, sports, friendships that let me pretend I’m just another student. But as my senior year comes to an end, so does my time.

The crown is waiting. So is the bride chosen for me. A woman I’ll never love. Because I don’t love women—I never have.

And then Ash Vale appears.

A quiet witch from a family so low they’re barely remembered, with eyes like sapphires and magic he doesn’t even realize is extraordinary. He shouldn’t matter. He shouldn’t even exist in my world. But the first time we touched, I knew—he’s the one I called to me years ago with a forbidden childhood love spell, the one fate promised would be mine.

He’s everything I want. Everything I can’t have.

Loving him means betraying my family, my kingdom, and the crown itself. But I’m not sure I can let him go. Not this time.

Witches like me aren’t meant to be noticed. I came to Widdershins to build a future out of scraps, to prove I could belong despite my tarnished family’s name. I never expected him.

Silver—a dark elf, popular, beautiful, carved from another world. He should be nothing but a reminder of the gulf between us. But when his gaze lingers on me, when his hand brushes mine, the truth is undeniable.

We’re bound.

I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But my magic flares for him, my soul reaching like it’s been waiting all along. And that terrifies me. Because Silver belongs to the Twilight Realm, to a throne that will never accept someone like me.

Giving in means daring to love the impossible. But walking away feels like tearing my own heart in half."]

I love how devastatingly adorable this series is. Each book is all so unique while maintaining the same general awe of fated mates, the same adorable sense of falling in love, the same you're-more-powerful-than-you-know magic. Not to mention all of the the-world-will-end-because-of-you, Council needs called drama. 

These two were adorable. You could just see them falling in love from that first meeting and hating that they haven’t met on campus before this, all of the little moments and the big moments, all of the silly teasing from friends, all of the deep talks. All of the self-sacrificing. 

Trigger Warnings: toxic parents, discrimination, violence, torture, and more.

#hexmate #faeheart #beastkin #duskborn #undertow #nightbound #evergreen #hearatflame #blakerwolfe #widdershinssupernaturalacademy #widdershinssupernaturalacademyseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Judas (Sacriligious Love #2)

Here's E Baileu's "The Judas." It's the second novel in the Sacriligious Love duology.

["The day the Covenant falls, Elior’s world shatters. Torn from the only life he’s ever known, he watches as the FBI raids the compound, his father’s voice thundering over the chaos—condemning him as sinful, as a whore, as Judas the Betrayer.

For the first time, Elior is free.
So why does it feel like a nightmare?

Outside the compound walls, everything is different. Elior finds himself drowning in a world that doesn’t feel like his own. Everything is too loud, too bright, and too confusing. His only constant is Jace, his Daddy.

Jace who lied to him. Jace who betrayed him. Jace who held him and comforted him.

Nothing makes sense anymore."]

I wasn't quite ready to read this one after I finished "The Idol." There was a loooot of feelings of betrayal and abandonment and isolation and desperation and loss that I just wasn't ready for. 

These two were just as cute as the first book. Just as dedicated and protective. Just as sweet and spicy. They were so in love, just trying to make it through more troubles and trials (literally and figuratively). 

Dark and unethical and awkward at times, over the top and totally possessive. Baileu's books are always a great read when you want something not to logical. 

Trigger Warnings: religious themes, cult dynamics, distorted interpretations of faith, manipulation through faith, harmful uses of doctrine, involuntary inpatient hospitalization resulting in food avoidance/weight loss/trauma-induced bed wetting/depression, MC with sensory needs, noncon and dubcon, psychopath, unhealthy power dynamics, and more.

#theidol #thejudas #sacriligiouslove #sacriligiousloveseries #ebaileu #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Fox Down (Forsaken Mountains #3)

Here's "Fox Down" by Paulina Ian-Kane. This is the third novel the Forsaken Mountains series.

["John Lennon was right about what a waste of time planning is.

One day, I’m innocently exchanging notes with an intriguing stranger, and the next, I find myself recovering from a near-death experience in a mixed shifter crew surrounded by vicious alphas.

As a gamma fox wounded and healing in the presence of such powerful shifters, I should be wetting myself, but the kindness of one scarred, stoic bear shifter changes everything.

Big—a perfect name to describe his massive, intimidating build—cares for me, protects me, becomes my friend. But the scorching hot attraction that fills my head with dirty images and thoughts that we could be more…are terrifying.

Not only because I’m pretty sure he’s as straight as an arrow and sees me as nothing but an adorable, defenseless puppy. But I can’t afford distractions.

I need to stick to my plan. If only it were that easy…"]

God, I loved so much of this book. The unique look on fated mates, how there are stages, how magical it all is. Beautiful. Plus how Jamie was just kinda...oblivious to it all was adorable and worked really well. 

They both could have worked on their communication some, talking about their feelings and their future plans and the whole core mate thing. But their feelings were so deep and so real, and their protectiveness was everything. 

I loooved the entire cast, all so different and broken in their own ways. I hope there's more MM in the future. 

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, violence, toxic parents, parental abuse, misogyny, mentions of human trafficking, and more.  

#foxdown #forsakenmountains #forsakenmountainsseries #paulinaiankane #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Sin (Salvation #1)

Here's "Sin" by Remi Varlow. This is the first novel the Salvation series.

["Sin

My preacher father named me Sin because he claimed I was born bad.

He must be right. There's not a rule I won't break. A line I won't cross. A person I won't hurt to make him pay for what he did to my mother.

Until My father remarries and Cassidy comes into my life. He's beautiful. He's good. He's innocent. All I want is to protect him from everyone else but me.

Despite how wrong it is I want to be the one to teach Cassidy, how to sin."]

The hurt/comfort was real, but Cassidy eventually saw through it (and kept seeing through it). Then again, Sin was bad at hurting Cassidy when he was so protective of him. 

These two were adorable, even as they held themselves back.

Their only real obstacle was Sin's horrible father (and Sin's walls). 

I can't wait to read Mercer's book!

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, religious bigotry, use of firearms, murder, mentions of parental mental and physical abuse, and more.

#sin #saint #salvation #salvationseries #remivarlow #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pragma (Mafia Babes #2)

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

["He comes first.

Akira Hebikawa, the heir of the strongest ruling Yakuza family. Unhinged, impulsive, belligerent, careless. A continuous pain in the butt for his bodyguard and right hand. Me.

We couldn’t be more different. We’re opposites who got together to fight against a common enemy, then never parted. He took me in out of curiosity and boredom, and with nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to, I followed him.

It was hardly love at first sight. I can’t pinpoint when these inconvenient feelings started to develop. Nevertheless they did, and slowly grew with time. Years to be precise. I quickly learned to push them down where no one could see. Not even myself.

Now out of the blue, the big boss orders Akira to get married, digging an even deeper grave for my ever-growing affection. I never had a chance, though. I’m a gaijin—an outsider—and I always will be. It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been part of the family, how obedient or loyal I am.

But Akira? He’s a Yakuza prince. A straight prince, with a future already planned and paved for him. Or so I thought. Because suddenly he wants to experiment…with me. How can I say no to that when I’ve been dying to have him under me? Skin to skin, breath to breath.

But each suitable marriage candidate he meets makes my heart ache, my desperation grow, and my inner fight rage. On top of that, danger is lurking. Old and new enemies are closing in from all sides, just as someone from my past comes back into my life without warning.

One false move, and I could lose everything. But don’t I need to actually have something to lose it? Have him?"]

Akira really tried to out-brat all of the other brats Paulina wrote previously. Plus he had swords. Swords, sass, sexual prowess. River tried to resist him, he had for sooo long, but Aki didn't really give him a choice. Then again, Riv was so head-over-heals obsessed and in love that having that 'choice' taken from him was a blessing (and a curse).

Plus a Clover cameo!!! God, I fucking love that guy!!!

Trigger Warnings: violence, murder, on-page reference to past child kidnapping, references to drug use/paraphernalia, one-page description of injuries, descriptions of past child abuse, torture, knife play, no established safe word, and more.

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

Petrichor (Mafia Babes #1)

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

["The Family comes first.

I’ve been part of the Leone family since Don Massimo took me in when I was a boy.

Now I sit beside his son, il capo, Don Sebastiano. Being a mobster is all I know and want.
Even when betrayal comes knocking at my door.

A teasing smile, the most striking cloud-gray eyes, an androgynous body wrapped in lingerie and a belly chain around his narrow hips. Can a man be pretty? I must be drunker than I thought to wonder such a thing.

Fly.

That’s what another man calls him before a whiskey bottle is smashed on his head. My tailored Italian suit is ruined, and Fly owes me now. When he proposes a way to repay his debt, I decide to go along with it even though my misanthropic nature protests vigorously.

I feel a sense of deep irritation when he acts unbothered by my menacing threats. Getting information from him before getting rid of him was my goal, but the urge to keep him close grows stronger, as does the desire to have another peek at those scraps of lace he likes to wear underneath his clothes.

Nevertheless, I won’t make the same mistake twice, because I’m Marco “the Knuckle” Moretti. And if he’s working for another family, nothing and no one will stop me from unleashing my vendetta upon him."]

Talk about hurt/comfort. I almost cried (and did cry) sooo many times. It was a crazy ride of protection and pushing-away. But Fly stuck out.

When the walls were down and the Feelings were out, these two were adorable as hell. Fluffy and possessive, spicy and sassy. Fate intervened to bring them together, but they kept themselves there, they fought for each other.

And it all ended on a cliffhanger that I’m not entirely sure we’ll see resolved. At least not until near the end of this one…big feelings about that tbh. 

Plus a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Lori cameo?!?! Yes, all of the naughty yes. 

Trigger Warnings: violence, gun use, reference to a child kidnapping, drug use/paraphernalia, injuries from off-page assault, descriptions of past child abuse, CNC, on-page assault, and more.

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