Virgin Skin (Ink Slingers #2)

Another day, another lucky chance at another ARC. "Virgin Skin" is the second novel in K.M. Neuhold's Ink Slingers series. This series is a spin-off series from Big Bull Mechanics, which is a spin-off series from Bear Construction. I love that for us. ;)

["I know I have to keep my hands off of my best friend’s son, but it’s hard… really, really hard…

I didn’t know the guy I picked up in the bar last night was Hero’s son. To be fair, he didn’t even know he had a son until today. I guess we’re all just scrambling to put on our poker faces.

Keeping my hands off of Milo is hard enough thanks to his lickable dimple, flirty smiles, and virgin skin. But I swear this has to be a test. Why else would Hero insist that his son come to live with me? And why is it so hard for Milo to just keep his clothes on already?

If I can't keep my hands off of him I could lose my friends, our club, even the tattoo shop I love more than anything. Given the stakes, it should be easy.

Right, and a Prince Albert just pinches a little…"]

Insta-lust. Best friend's son. And they were roommates. Forced proximity. A "stuck in the dryer" moment. And a guaranteed HEA. What more could someone even want?! Oh yea, Ink Slingers shenanigans and sooooo many found family moments (plus cameos from our Bears and and Bulls ;) ). 

I looooooooved these two! Milo was sweet as fuck, but also sassy and not afraid to go after what he wants. Piston was confident and capable, but scared to be selfish (and happy). Together, they were able to carve out a place that fit them, the two of them. 

I REALLY thought the angst would get to me and I would end up sobbing, but no one was a total idiot in this novel so, all good things. ;)

Of course, Jag nagged his way into moving the plot along a few times. ;) Can't wait till that little shit get's his HEA.  Though, I agree with a lot of other readers that Brick might be next.

#gayromancereviews #grr #arcs #arcteammember
#flash #virginskin #inkslingers #inkslingersseries #kmneuhold #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Kissing The Grump

I SHOULD be taking this time to catch up on incoming ARCs instead of catching up on new TBRs...Should be. Here's Baylin Crow's "Kissing the Grump."

["Forrest Grump is the most confusing man I’ve met in my life.

No, that's not his real name, but the nickname is fitting. For reasons I may never know, he seems to dislike me on sight and purposely makes my job at the coffee shop more difficult than it needs to be. By some cruel twist of fate, he's also my new neighbor so running into him is inevitable.

He annoys me. He makes me nervous. He also makes me want to kiss him. Maybe it's because he's attractive and I've never been kissed. But maybe it's more."]

Okay, this book didn't have the right of being so damn cute! Forest was grumpy as hell (but secretly sweet and protective). Elliot was shy as hell (but also so flipping sassy and outgoing). They shouldn't have worked, for sooooooo many reasons, but they did!

This short story could have been much longer and it still would have worked out soooo well. Honestly, I think a little bit more and it would have been even better. ;)

#kissingthegrump #baylincrow #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Breathless (Squad Goals #4)

I SHOULD be taking this time to catch up on incoming ARCs instead of catching up on new TBRs...Should be. Here's Willow Thoams's "Breathless." It's the fourth book in her Squad Goals series. 

["The Cheerleader and The Guy Next Door

Perry
My life is a mess.
My mom and sister treat me like I’m the worst person in the world because I enforce my lone boundary. I’m really close to failing a class that is crucial to my degree. The very important regional cheerleading competition is coming up.
It’s a lot.
Then I meet my new neighbor and realize it’s the hot guy who witnessed something I do not want my cheer squad to find out. My life gets even more messy as I come up with a proposition to convince him to keep my secret.
He tells me he’ll keep my secret anyway, so why do I push him to take the deal?

Beau
Inheriting my grandfather’s old house after he passes away is bittersweet. It’s not been lived in for twenty years and is next to a house full of college cheerleaders, but it is perfect for me and my bee hives.
When I introduce myself to the squad, I come face to face with Perry, the guy whose family life imploded in front of me weeks ago.
He offers to help me kick start my business in exchange for never mentioning what I witnessed. No way would I say anything, but I still take him up on his offer.
Perry is the kind of man you use any excuse to spend time with.
So I do."]

I love how short and sweet these novels are. There is only enough angst to keep the plot moving, there's no third-act-break-up business, and there's barely any spice. Okay, so that last one is more of a negative. BUT these two were sooooo freaking adorable. I loooooved their inner monologues and their banter and the nicknames. They were perfect!

Trigger Warnings: toxic family members

#clueless #restless #dateless #breathless #limitless #squadgoals #squadgoalsseries #willowthomas #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Just Bromantically Invested (Accidental Love #4)

So little time and SOOO many ARCs suddenly due (curse my procrastination). Here's the fourth book (yes, I had to skip book 3 (for now) to get this ARCs reviewed on time) in Saxon James's Accidental Love series: "Just Bromantically Invested."

["Madden
My best friend is uptight, gorgeous, the greatest person I know … and I might be a smidge in love with him. Just a small amount. Barely worth the mention.
Which is a stupid choice on my part when the guy is straight.
Starting a landscaping company with him was the perfect mix of doing what I love and an excuse to spend time with him, only it hasn’t completely taken off yet and now he’s telling me he’s lonely.
Lonely.
Apparently having one friend in your life isn’t enough.
So I’m determined to help him find love. With someone other than me. Maybe if I can pull that off, it’ll mean my heart will finally get the message and move on.
Or finish breaking into a hundred pieces.
Same thing, right?

Penn
Being besties with an overenthusiastic, gold-hearted, nudist of a man is a challenge sometimes. Madden makes everything sunshine when he’s around.
The problem is that he hasn’t been around as much lately. We work together, sure, but he’s got his roommates and I have … no one. Just him. So I feel the distance acutely.
My one reassurance is that we have work tying us together, but when an old client calls with a proposition for us, it feels like our once solid friendship is unraveling fast.
He wants Madden to help him open a nudist resort, and if Madden’s doing that, he won’t be working with me.
I’m trying not to panic over the thought of losing him, which is a typical, common best friend reaction. Nothing out of the ordinary.
And neither is the way my body has been reacting to him lately.
Everything is totally, completely normal between us.
While there’s still an us at all."]

This book was an emotional rollercoaster. Their feelings for each other were strong as hell, but also a little too possessive. They worked through their own issues so they could work on themselves, but it took some work. But that's what they did, they worked and tried to make this relationship work.

And the relationship was sweet as hell. They were so dopey in-love. Pretty much everyone knew about Madden's feelings, and when Penn confessed his new feelings? No one was surprised. 

As I've said before, I neeeeeeed a Xander book, even if I KNOW that shit (the book...and Z) will make me cry.

#forewordprandmarketing #arcs #arcteammember
#thehusbandhoax #notdatingmaterial #therevengeagenda #justbromanticallyinvested #notcatchinglove #saxonjames #accidentallove #accidentalloveseries #puckboys #puckboysseries #upinflames #divorcedmensclub #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Revenge Agenda (Accidental Love #3)

I soooooo meant to read this months and months ago. But here we are, reading this fabulous series (by Saxon James) out of order as to get my ARCs reviewed on time. At least the HEA Rush and Hunter have coming for them wasn't a spoiler. Here's "The Revenge Agenda."

["Rush
When I show up to surprise my boyfriend in a barely-there festive outfit, I’m expecting him to be alone.
Not hosting family.
His fiancé’s family.
Down one boyfriend and up a lot of embarrassment, I flee with my tail between my legs. The broken heart will fade. My humiliation, not so much, but my saving grace is the fact that I never have to see either of them ever, ever again.
Until I walk into work and come face to face with my new boss.

Hunter
I never, in a million years, would have guessed the man hiding under his desk at work would be the one person I hoped to never see again.
My ex-fiancé’s side piece.
Apparently I can’t fire the guy because of personal issues, so I try to play nice, which is a whole lot harder to do when I find out my ex is still texting Rush. The same ex I haven’t heard from since I walked out on his begging.
Rush tells me he didn’t know about me. He tells me there were others. He also tells me our ex still wants him and so, we come up with a plan. To show him what it feels like when you want someone who doesn’t want you back.
All we need is a camera. His number. And one shared kiss.
Revenge has never been sweeter."]

MY GOD! D: I can't!!! 

Rush needs protected at all costs. Then again, I think that about almost every (no, every) member of the Big Bertha house. I might not have ADHD (okay, well I think I do, but not like Rush), but his neurodivergency was sooooo freaking relatable!! I mean, seriously!!

And Hunter! D: He was a little mean in the beginning, but he was blinded by his own pain and feelings to think about more than himself (which is very fair). But when he started thinking of Rush as a fellow victim? He never stopped treating Rush better than he treats himself. 

This relationship is arguable only "working" because its a book (this is a Halmark-only kinda situation), but it does work. They work. They communication and put effort into each other and their relationship (and their plant baby).

I still want Xander's book more than anything though..

#thehusbandhoax #notdatingmaterial #therevengeagenda #justbromanticallyinvested #notcatchinglove #saxonjames #accidentallove #accidentalloveseries #puckboys #puckboysseries #upinflames #divorcedmensclub #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Wicked: Little Golden Books

The other night, I was able to finally read the Little Golden Books, Wicked Edition. I, obviously, started with "I Am Elphaba" and then read "I am Glinda."

Both books tell the story of Elphaba (the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, before the wicked part) and Glinda (the Good Witch of the North) as they arrive as Shiz, as they move from enemies to friends, and as they make their journey to Oz to meet the Wizard. The books end right where the movie is expected to (right were the OG musical ends for intermission), at Defying Gravity. 

I loooooved the books. They were definitely adorable and nice easy readers. The illustrations were bright and bold and beautiful. 

The more I torture myself with Wicked teaser, the less I can contain myself for the movie.

#wickediamelphaba #iamelphaba #wickediamglinda #iamglinda #wicked #wickedlittlegoldenbooks #littlegoldenbooks #lgb #books #childrensbooks #childrensclassics #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks