Tapped By My Roommate (Thrust Into Love series #3)

I don't know how I missed the Thrust Into Love series when I binged D.J. Jamison's books a few months ago. Literally, don't know. But it came up in an email I got recently through D.J. (and #BookFunnel) promoting Pride Month, so here we are. The third book is titled "Tapped By My Roommate."

["Ethan Greene: Shy geek, newly bi-curious, and...propositioning his gay roommate?

I have a passion for a lot of things: wildlife biology, Godzilla, bowties...
But when it comes to people, I'm more timid.
Which is why I'm stuck with a toxic ex-girlfriend who's holding my lizard hostage.

I need to face her--and save my dignity.
But a little backup won't hurt, right?

My roommate is the perfect wingman.
Rhett is assertive and charismatic. The kind of guy people respect.
And when he meets my toxic ex, he's also the kind of guy to get protective.

I take comfort in his strength, even as I envy it.
But when he kisses me, things get awkward.

Frustrated by the tension between us, I turn to a hookup app for answers.
I don't mean to proposition my roommate. Really.
It's just a weird fluke--a mortifying one.

But Rhett has a proposition of his own.
He wants to help me explore my curiosity.
But he's a bartender who practically flirts for a living, and I'm in way over my head.

It could all end in heartbreak.
Unless I find the courage I've been seeking my whole life.

Can I be bold enough to ask Rhett Hayes to be mine?"]

These two are idiots. They were half in love with each other before the Thrust app (kinda like Grindr but with more queer options) but just didn't know it. Their neighbor knew it, I knew it, but they were oblivious. It was fucking adorable. Oh, spoiler alert. ;)

It was soooooo fucking sweet! So damn sweet. There was a hell of a lot of steam too, don't get me wrong, but Rhett was so sweet and Ethan was so sweet, and it was just perfect.

Rhett has a hero complex, and Ethan wants to become his own hero. They helped each other grow in more ways than Ethan's trying-to-be-innocent-but-not-so-innocent sex checklist. ;))

#swipedbymydadsbestfriend #matchedbymyrival #tappedbymyroommate #sextedbysanta #thrustintolove #djjamison #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Matched By My Rival: Bonus Scene

A "Matched By My Rival" Bonus Scene by D.J. Jamison from the Thrust Into Love series, courtesy of #BookFunnel. Must (well, in theory--you do you though, boo) read the full novel beforehand (which has been reviewed in my last post--full blurb included).

["Author's Note: 'This scene was originally written to be included when Parker draws Simon into his dorm room for the first time. For the sake of story pacing, I opted to leave it out and let the tension build between them instead. But as the saying goes, no dirty deed should go to waste..or something to that effect. ;) '"]

A little extra love from Parker and Simon. A very quick and very, very cute read. Cute, but hot as hell, too. ;)

What would I do without amazing websites like Book Funnel. As long as you included your email (which, frankly, you get even more bonus content that way anyway, so no real hardship there), you get tons of free short stories from a tooooooooon of authors. I've mentioned it before in several posts, but if you've never looked it up before, I'd check it out. I've never full-on browsed their website, but a lot of my favorite authors have stuff on there from time to time (and all the time), whether I'm notified via email or at the end of a good book via an imbedded link. Either way, totally worth it.

#swipedbymydadsbestfriend #matchedbymyrival #tappedbymyroommate #sextedbysanta #thrustintolove #djjamison #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Matched By My Rival (Thrust Into Love series #2)

I don't know how I missed the Thrust Into Love series when I binged D.J. Jamison's books a few months ago. Literally, don't know. But it came up in an email I got recently through D.J. (and #BookFunnel) promoting Pride Month, so here we are. The second book is titled "Matched By My Rival."

["Simon Prentiss: ex-football star, bitter rival, and...falling for the enemy?

I hate my teammate, Parker Reed.
I hate that he makes me work so hard for my position on the field.
Hate how he always smiles. How easily he shows me up when I'm injured.

Most of all, I hate that he made me lose my temper.

Next thing I know, football is gone.
My scholarship is gone.
I'm nearly gone, too.

With help, I manage to stay in school for my final semester.
At least without football, I can explore a new side to myself.
See where my attraction to guys takes me without fear of it affecting my future.

I didn't see it coming. The cosmic joke.
The sweet, patient guy on the hookup app?
The one who makes me burn with the desire to have him?

Yeah, it's Parker.

Our chemistry is off the charts, no matter how much I resent him.
Holding a grudge against him is impossible.
But when he wants to walk away from everything I lost, can I accept it?

If I don't, I'll lose him too--and that can't happen.
Because I don't hate Parker Reed.
I think I love him."]

Enemies to lovers. Jock rivals romance. What more could you ask for?!

A not-so-slow slow burn and a soul-mate-y feeling mixed with totally accepting families (spoiler alert I guess) and a dreamy plan for the future? Yup, all of that. 

Plus some hot sex and suuuuppppper sweet fluff. And some second-hand embarrassment and awkward first meetings and a lot of what-the-hell-is-my-future stuff. So, not all rainbows and butterflies and gay love happily ever after, but a lot of it. ;)

It took me a bit to get into this book, only because I was soooooo instantly enthralled by the first book, I expected the same thing from this one instead of that getting-to-know-you grace period from a new book. So that was on me. But otherwise, a fan-fucking-tastic read. 

#swipedbymydadsbestfriend #matchedbymyrival #tappedbymyroommate #sextedbysanta #thrustintolove #djjamison #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Summer I Turned Pretty

I've been meaning to read the Summer series (or the Summer I Turned Pretty series) by Jenny Han for literal decades. Or just over a decade. I told myself 10+ summers ago that as soon as I finished X series, this one would be next. I told myself a few years ago, after I finished the To All The Boys series, I would finally read this (same fabulous author). When I saw they were making this book into a series, when the series had a trailer, when the series debuted, I said I'd finally read it. Well, I finally did it.

["Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along."]

The summer, beach-house, first-love tropes were beautiful. The in-love-with-both-brothers thing was angsty as fuck (and familiar in a way I can't place my finger on). I loved the back and forth. I loved not knowing which brother she'd pick or what cringey circumstance she'd get herself into next.

In my opinion, I loved the series as a whole. It was cute and fun and full of teenage-second-hand-embarrassment. I missed how easy ya reads are and how quick it was and how there's just so much less drama (I mean, still a shit ton of drama, but not scary, all-to-real adulthood stuff). 

However, I thought that the end of book one was a little too vague, and overall, didn't have nearly as much romance as I had expected. Book two was just as quick and just as should-have-had-more. Book three felt full and well-rounded, but there just wasn't, overall, much character development (I didn't know what was missing, but I saw this comment on several Goodreads reviews and whole-heartedly agree).

Overall, I was a little disappointed. I'm not sure if I needed more overall from the series, if I'm used to more from new-adult/adult romance books, or if I just kept comparing this series to the To All The Boys series.

Amazon Prime review to come shortly.

#thesummeriturnedpretty #itsnotsummerwithoutyou #wellalwayshavesummer #summer #summerseries #thesummeriturnedprettyseries #jennyhan #yabooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: All Of The Love

Pride 2022: All Of The Love

This was all of my queer+ books /after/ I organized them into a pretty (but so much fucking work) rainbow. This month is for being bright and bold and SEEN. Don't let the heteronormative white supremacist capitalist patriarchy (and all of their bullshit) get you down. Be you.

And this was all of my queer+ books /before/ I organized them into different pride flag posts (and /before/ the pretty (but so much fucking work) rainbow bookshelf picture). Because not everything is always beautiful and put-together or as simple as it appears. Organizing these posts (small in comparison) and figuring out who you are and what/how you love can be messy and chaotic and complicated, you just might not see it from where you're looking.

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Transexual Pride

Pride 2022: Transexual Pride

Blue (traditional male color) #themusicofwhathappens
Pink (traditional female color) #redwhiteandroyalblue
White (transitional, neutral gender & intersex color) #thepassingplaybook
Pink (traditional female color) #heartstoppervolumeone
Blue (traditional male color) #theextraordinaries

#transexualpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Demisexual Pride

Pride 2022: Demisexual Pride

White (sexuality) #symptomsofbeinghuman
Purple (community) #aladysguidetopetticoatsandpiracy
Gray (gray asexuality/demisexuality) #fangirl
Black Triangle (asexuality) #goodomens

#demisexualpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Nonbinary Pride

Pride 2022: Nonbinary Pride

Yellow (without/outside of gender binary) #aristotleanddantediveintothewatersoftheworld
White (third/other/all genders) #fencedisarmed
Purple (mix of tradition male/female colors & queer identity color) #thesunandtheshadow
Black (without gender) #openlystraight

#nonbinarypride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Pansexual Pride

Pride 2022: Pansexual Pride

Pink (attraction to femme) #solitaire
Yellow (attraction to nonbinary) #itskindofanepicstory
Blue (attraction to masc) #youretheonethatiwant

#pansexualpride #thewinenotthelabel

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Polysexual Pride

Pride 2022: Polysexual Pride

Pink (attraction to femme) #ikissedsharawheeler
Green (attraction to outside traditional f/m binary) #heartstoppervolumethree
Blue (attraction to masc) #callmebyyourname

#polysexualpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Omnisexual Pride

Pride 2022: Omnisexual Pride

Light Pink (variation of attraction to femme) #fangirl
Dark Pink (variation of attraction to femme) #solitaire
Black (third/other/all genders) #camp
Dark Blue (variation of attraction to masc) #thenoblemansguidetoscandalandshipwrecks
Light Blue (variation of attraction to masc) #fangirlmagnavolumetwo

#omnisexualpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Agender Pride

Pride 2022: Agender Pride

Black (absence of gender) #likealovestory
Gray (semi-genderless) #naomiandelysnokisslist
White (absence of gender) #fencevolumeone #fencevolumetwo
Green (inverse of traditional male/female colors) #wondersoftheinvisibleworld
White (absence of gender) #fencevolumethree #fencevolumefour
Gray (semi-genderless) #thepictureofdoriangray
Black (absence of gender) #thefriendscheme

#agenderpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Aromantic Pride

Pride 2022: Aromantic Pride

Dark Green (aromanticism) #anywaythewindblows
Light Green (aromantic spectrum) #hownottoaskaboytoprom
White (platonic and aesthetic attraction) #fencestrikingdistance
Gray (gray-aromantic & demi-romantic) #willgraysonwillgrayson
Black (sexuality spectrum) #andtheylived

#aromanticpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Asexual Pride

Pride 2022: Asexual Pride

Black (asexuality) #thewitchboy
Gray (demisexuality) #blaineforthewin
White (allies) #outoftheblue
Purple (community) #somethingfabulous

#asexualpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Intersex Pride

Pride 2022: Intersex Pride

Yellow #waywardson
Yellow #ifyouchangeyourmind
Purple Circle #sothisiseverafter
Yellow #anunexpectedkindoflove
Yellow #nickandcharlie

Meaning Behind The Colors: the pastel yellow background represents nonbinary colors and the purple circle represents wholeness, completeness, and rightness.

#intersexpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Questioning Pride

Pride 2022: Questioning Pride

Pastel Red #captiveprince
Pastel Orange #nateplusone
Pastel Yellow #iwishyouallofthebest
Pastel Green #kingsrising
Pastel Blue #herroyalhighness
Pastel Purple #labpartners

Meaning Behind The Colors: the pastel rainbow and white question mark represents the general queer society and questioning one's space inside of it, regardless of time, place, age, etc.

#questioningpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Bisexual Pride

Pride 2022: Bisexual Pride

Pink (same sex attraction) #onelaststop
Purple (breadth of gender spectrum) #theprincessandthefangirl
Blue (other sex attraction) #kissandtell

#bisexualpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Gender-Fluid Pride

Pride 2022: Gender-Fluid Pride

Pink (femininity) #thedarknessoutsideus
White (lack of gender) #twoboyskissing
Purple (mix of traditional male/female colors & queer identity color) #whenthemoonwasours
Black (third/other/all genders) #miloandmarcosattheendoftheworld
Blue (masculinity) #theybothdieattheend

#genderfluidpride 

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Gender-Queer Pride

Pride 2022: Gender-Queer Pride

Purple (mix of traditional male/female & queer identity color) #jaysgayagenda
White (gender neutral identity color) #thesummerpalace
Green (inverse of purple as well as third/other/all genders) #thefascinators

#genderqueerpride

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Graysexual Pride

Pride 2022: Graysexual Pride

Purple (asexuality) #gayloveandotherfairytales
Gray (gray sexuality) #naomiandelysnokisslist
White (allo sexuality) #thefoxholecourt
Gray (gray sexuality) #thepictureofdoriangray
Purple (asexuality) #carryon

#graysexualpride

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Gay Men Pride

Pride 2022: Gay Men Pride

Dark Teal #lockandwest
Med Teal #howtoberemycameron
Light Teal #alexinwonderland
White #youaskedforperfect
Light Blue #cinderellaboy
Med Blue #conventionallyyours
Dark Blue #herethewholetime

Meaning Behind The Colors: traditional male colors spanning a spectrum to symbolize the multiple versions of different traditional male identities and attractions (e.g. twink to masc)

#gaymenpride

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Lesbian Pride

Pride 2022: Lesbian Pride

Dark Orange #theelectricheir
Med Orange #whatifitsus
Light Orange #indeeperwaters
White #asfarasyoulltakeme
Light Pink #fangirl
Med Pink #kateinwaiting
Dark Pink #theprinceandthedressmaker

Meaning Behind The Colors: traditional female colors spanning a spectrum to symbolize the multiple versions of different traditional female identities and attractions (e.g. femme to butch)

#lesbianpride

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Pride 2022: Queer/Gay Pride

Pride 2022: Queer/Gay Pride

Pink (sex) #ikissedsharawheeler
Red (life) #theloveinterest
Orange (healing) #alittlebitcountry
Yellow (sunlight) #outofcharacter
Green (nature) #homefieldadvantage
Teal (magic/art) #goldenboys
Blue (art/magic) #icebreaker
Violet (serenity/harmony) #thegravityofus
Brown (inclusivity) #anassassinsguidetoloveandtreason
Black (diversity) #queercity

#queerpride #gaypride

#pride #pridemonth #pride2022 #pridebooks #lgbt #lgbtbooks #rainbow #betruebeyou #wholebunchofgaydisastersyall #queerbooks #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

TBR piles

Speeeeeaaaaaking of TBR piles...here's mine.

I'm not sure if taking the picture(s) made me feel better or worse to be honest. I liked relooking at all of my options and organizing (and dusting) the shelves again, but like, w o w, there are a lot more than I remember.

We have the murder mystery pile, the queer literature pile, the queer murder mystery pile (also known as the be-gay-do-crimes piles, which I thought I had more of), the young adult pile (excluding the queer ya books--they're included in the queer lit pile), and the children's lit pile (excluding the queer children's books--they're included in the queer lit pile as well). There's also a miscellaneous pile, which includes my kindle as a symbol of all the books I have downloaded TBRs on there (a total of 27 (that I'm serious to semi-serious about), if anyone was asking).

#tbr #tbrpiles #murdermystery #queerliterature #begaydocrimes #youngadult #childrenslit #books #bookphotography #bookstagram #ilovebooks

AWTWB seen in a local bookstore

I found our very own Simon and Baz at a local, independently-owned bookstore last weekend in their Pride Month display. I was so over the moon about seeing them, but then I saw this review below it and literally choked from laughing so hard.

Bex isn’t wrong. Simon is Harry, and Baz is Draco, and Rainbow is a fully accepting, intersectional feminist without a bad bone in her fabulous body (J.K.? Not so much).

This wasn’t exactly the sign I needed NOT to reread Carry On again though.

#rainbowrowell #carryon #carryonsimon #simonsnow #snowbaz #bazpitch #tyrannusbasiltongrimmpitch #anywaythewindblows #waywardson #watford #whitewhale #whitewhalebookstore #independentlyownedbookstores #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks