The Underdog (Better With You series #3)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Who needs to read stuff they have on their TBR shelves and/or the stuff already downloaded onto their kindle when they can browse Goodreads for another new author/series? Guilty on all charges. Here's Briar Prescott's "The Underdog" from the Better With You series.

["Anders:
There once was a guy who told a little white lie. That didn’t turn out so well. I would know. I’m the guy.
Once upon a time, I told my brother and sister that my dream was to do a triathlon. I never expected them to sign me up for one! Now I’m forced to deal with my very cantankerous personal trainer. Wells Montgomery is an angry, rude, judgmental bastard. Frankly, I’m surprised the chip on his shoulder hasn’t crushed him yet.
But the more time I spend with him, the more I realize that the anger is just a facade that conceals a man who is more than a little lost.
The more time I spend with him, the more I start to think that maybe somebody should find him.
The more time I spend with him, the more I start to think that maybe, just maybe, that person could be me?

Wells:
There once was a guy who flew unimaginably high. That didn’t turn out so well. I would know. I’m the guy.
A year ago I was on top of the world. It only took a handful of seconds for my life to irreversibly change course. Needless to say, I’m not happy. Neither am I happy when my dad and one of my so-called friends trick me into becoming a personal trainer for some guy who wants to do a triathlon. Now I need to get this Anders Kelly to fire me.
It’s a good plan, if only Anders wasn’t so unbelievably stubborn. And too nice for his own good. Annoyingly fun. Irritatingly kind. His faults just keep piling up.
But the more time I spend with him, the harder it becomes to keep my distance.
The more time I spend with him, the more I start to see the possibilities life still offers.
The more time I spend with him, the more I start to think that maybe, just maybe, Anders might not be an unattainable dream after all."]

These two were soooooooo cute! I mean, the first couple of chapters, they didn't...get along very well. But they were both stubborn, Anders was determined to be positive, and Wells was determined to be an ass. After they got over themselves and go to know each other, they were Best Friends. 

An awkward but classic trope or two later, and they were in love. Spoiler. Alert. Then again, I think that last part is obvious, given the genre. ;)

Seriously, this series keeps surprising me. I wasn't expecting to love this one was much as I did (to be brutally honest), but it was soooooo sweet and fluffy and body positve.

Speaking of body positivity, I love how this book talked disability. A lot of books tackle the mental disability side (as well as gender/sexual differences, class differences, race differences, etc), but not a lot of books tackle physical disability. And this book did it beautifully (in my fully physically abled-body opinion).

#thehappylist #thedatingexperiment #theunderdog #theinconvenientlove #briarprescott #betterforyou #betterforyouseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Dating Experiment (Better For You series #2)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Who needs to read stuff they have on their TBR shelves and/or the stuff already downloaded onto their kindle when they can browse Goodreads for another new author/series? Guilty on all charges. Here's Briar Prescott's "The Dating Experiment" from the Better With You series.

["Jamie:
Three years ago, I sold my soul to the devil.
Also known as my boss. Same thing.
Here’s the deal. Connor Quinn is arrogant, impossible to please, cold as ice, and prone to find flaws in everything.
Since that fatal day three years ago, many a murder plan have been made and many a weapon considered.
Until…
I accidentally get to know him better, which is unfortunate, since it turns out that underneath Connor’s icy exterior, there’s a man shaped by past hurts and difficult life lessons.
Which means I’m in a bit of a pickle since it also turns out I might kind of like the bastard…

Connor:
For as long as I can remember, I’ve chased calm. I’m the exact opposite of an adrenaline junkie with my pursuit of peace and quiet.
My rules are simple. I don’t make terrible decisions. I don’t make mistakes. And I don’t do chaos.
Until Jamie.
He’s an anomaly. A glitch in the system. Unpredictable. Distracting. Confusing.
But now I’ve accidentally gotten to know him better, and it turns out he’s also warm. And funny. And interesting. And with him, the world gets just a tiny bit quieter.
And I fit just a tiny bit better."]

I'm sooooo excited that this book was about these two men. The first book hinted at it (or maybe it was just me being overly romantic), and I'm here for it. They had chemistry in that book, so much, and I don't even think they shared the page in it.

This book was so cute and so funny and so awkward and embarrassing and hot and sweet. They were the epitome of opposite attract. I just can't stress how much I love this book; it's one of my favorites. I want to gush and gush and gush about it, but I'm afraid of spoiling things (one: because I'm a fangirl. two: I can't control myself sometimes. three: some of my favorites parts of this book would spoil it).

So please, please, please read this book. Read it. 

#thehappylist #thedatingexperiment #theunderdog #theinconvenientlove #briarprescott #betterforyou #betterforyouseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Happy List (Better With You series #1)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Who needs to read stuff they have on their TBR shelves and/or the stuff already downloaded onto their kindle when they can browse Goodreads for another new author/series? Guilty on all charges. Here's Briar Prescott's "The Happy List" from the Better With You series.

["Gray
There are some things I excel at:
- Exercising rigid control over every aspect of my life
- Making sensible decisions at every turn
- Being organized, predictable and responsible to an abnormal degree
In short, I’m boring as hell and in desperate need of a change.
Luckily I have my best friend by my side and a newly written to-do list to guide my way through the murky waters of finding happiness.
It’s all very promising at first, but as weeks pass, I start to realize that the best part of my day has always been Kai.
And when I see him out on a date with some guy?
Let’s just say I’m definitely not happy about it.

Kai
I’m back in Boston after ten years of traveling, and I’ve fulfilled all my goals:
- See the world
- Figure out what to do with my life
- Get over my impossible crush on Gray
Check, check and check.
Life’s good until I accidentally find Gray’s happy list, which contains some very interesting things that friends never ever do with each other.
And as weeks pass, it becomes clear those not-so-innocent parts are the ones Gray is determined to explore with me.
In short, I’m screwed because no matter how hard I try, I can’t resist him, and pretty soon I'm forced to admit that I’m not as done with my crush as I thought I was..."]

I'd like to say there wasn't a lot of angst in this, but Kai was angsty as fuuuuuck about The Happy List and the not-quite-just-friends arrangement. Like, I held my breath during his chapters because his heart ache (both for being in love and afraid of loosing everything) was so papable. Like almost anxiety attack inducing. And yet sooooooooooo damn worth it, so worth it.

Gray realized something soooo major about himself (and not just his sexual identity or his in-love-with-my-best-friend-but-oblivious-to-it thing (spoiler alert)): that he hates his job and wants to do something that makes him happy. Like goddamn, that's something our generation is really good at realizing, but realizing it and doing something about it is two different things.

These two were idiots. Granted, Gray knew that he was happiest and safest and most him when he was with Kai but didn't know what that meant, not really; and Kai knew how he felt for years and let himself fall into that again, regardless of the consequences. I've said it before, and I'll say it again (sounds familiar, doesn't it): if they only had talked it out.

#thehappylist #thedatingexperiment #theunderdog #theinconvenientlove #briarprescott #betterforyou #betterforyouseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Irrespsonsible Puckboy (Puckboy series #2)

I don't know why it took me so long to read this series. I mean honestly, two of my favorite authors (Eden Finley and Saxon James) teaming up to make a new hockey-themed, queer-centric, hot-and-steamy rom-com series, and it took me months to get to it? I'm slightly ashamed of myself and not-so-slightly guilty for ignoring these two writing goddesses. The series? Puckboys. The second novel? "Irresponsible Puckboy."

["Tripp
The worst part of being in love with my straight best friend is the fact he’s too oblivious to see it.
Years of pining have left me exhausted, and I need a break from Dex. I need space to get over my feelings. But when his relationship falls apart and he turns to me for comfort, I cave immediately.
If there’s one thing I hate more than being hurt, it’s seeing Dex struggle. I can’t leave him in a time of need, even if my friends say it’s my biggest downfall.
They say Dexter Mitchale is my weakness, but if that’s true, I don’t want to be strong.

Dex
I’ve always been the dumb one. It’s what I’m known for, and usually I don’t let it get to me.
I have hockey, and I have my best friend, Tripp. What more do I need? To settle down? No thank you. Marriage? Hard pass. According to ex-girlfriends, that makes me “irresponsible.”
But the solution I come up with to get over my fear of commitment might be my dumbest idea yet. Not only does it have team management breathing down my neck, but it puts a strain on my friendship with Tripp.
This PR nightmare could lose me the only person I’ve ever loved. Losing girlfriends is nothing. Losing Tripp? It’s not an option.
I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him."]

"Egotistical Puckboy" made it very clear that Dex is a himbo. And well..he kinda is. But in a golden retriever kinda way. He's soooo damn sweet and just wants people (Tripp) to be happy. He's overly trusting and doesn't understand why people would lie when he's always so honest. And it's very, very, very clear that he's in love with Tripp welllllllllll before any other amazing tropes take place (he's just too oblivious to it).

And yeah, Tripp plays the gay-dude-in-love-with-his-straight-best-friend stereotype, but he plays it soooooo well! So damn well!! Even when the Queer Collective tries to protect him/his heart, at the risk of confusing/frustrating/hurting Dex, he stops them; he is more worried about Dex's feelings than his own, in the most romantic way ever.

And honestly, I want to gush about how both of these boys are dumb and making stupid mistakes that lead to perviously mentioned amazing tropes, but it might (probably not, but I'm hoping the suspense will make it worth the wait for y'all) spoil things. So go. read. this. book.

Trigger Warnings: straightforward homophobia, internalized homophobia, violence, toxic masculinity and a whole sports world set up around it, etc

#egotisticalpuckboy #irresponsiblepuckboy #saxonjames #edenfinley #puckboys #puckboysseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Egotistical Puckboy (Puckboys series #1)

I don't know why it took me so long to read this series. I mean honestly, two of my favorite authors (Eden Finley and Saxon James) teaming up to make a new hockey-themed, queer-centric, hot-and-steamy rom-com series, and it took me months to get to it? I'm slightly ashamed of myself and not-so-slightly guilty for ignoring these two writing goddesses. The series? Puckboys. The first novel? "Egoistical Puckboy."

["EZRA
Partying, dudes, and hockey. What more could a gay NHL player want?
If it weren't for Anton Hayes, my life would be perfect.
Not that he affects my life in any way. At all. That would imply I care what the winger from Philly thinks of me.
Which I don't.
Not even a one-night stand with him can thaw his misplaced animosity toward me.
He says I'm the one with the ego, but he can talk. He rivals me for most egotistical puck boy in the league.
I hate him as much as he hates me. Even if I crave a repeat.

ANTON
When it comes to hockey, I'm all about the game.
I've worked for years to be one of the best in the league, and l've done it without splashing my orientation all over the tabloids.
My hockey image is one I've carefully cultivated, and after one night with Ezra Palaszczuk, I risk it all.
He's cocky, obnoxious, and has an ego bigger than Massachusetts. And okay, maybe he's the sexiest man I've ever known.
We'll never get along. Not when we sleep together. Not even when my possessive streak awakens.
That doesn't stop us from falling into bed together over and over again."]

This is more than an enemies-to-lovers, more than an opposites attract. It's more than the pranks and the media spinning a tentative not-exactly-a-friendship-but-slightly-less-hateship into a full-blown bromance. It's hate-sex mixed with barely-hidden fluff. It's a slap-in-the-face romance for the ages that no one saw coming.

Ez didn't even realize he fell until he was already in way too deep. Same for Anton, but at least he could see a little bit of it coming with all of that possessiveness/jealousness. And when they did realize they were in too deep emotionally, did they talk about it and come up with a no-angst solution? Of course not! Not until it--okay, so I have to stop there, so I'll spoil too much for you.

You need to read this. Like, I hate myself for not reading it sooner. Read. It.

Trigger Warnings: mild homophobia, mild internalized homophobia, violence, toxic masculinity and a whole sports world set up around it, etc

#egotisticalpuckboy #irresponsiblepuckboy #saxonjames #edenfinley #puckboys #puckboysseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Crankshaft (Big Bull Mechanics series #1)

Why read books you downloaded months and months ago when you can ready a book you downloaded less than a week ago? (Because you have impulse issues?) Because it's K.M. Neuhold. Her newest series (Big Bull Mechanics) starts with "Crankshaft."

["I don’t have time for a relationship, not even with the adorably dorky vet I can’t seem to stop bumping into… *sigh * pass the oil and lube

Between running a garage full of beefed up, gear head mechanics and bailing my idiot brother out of trouble every other week, the last thing I have time for is a relationship.

I’ve tried it too many times, and the ridiculous reasons I always find to end it have become a running joke around the garage. But I’ve learned my lesson. No. More. Boyfriends.

I don’t care how many times Porter falls asleep drunk in my bed or how cute he looks covered in oil smears while I teach him how to fix up the vintage car he has rusting away in his garage, I’m not going to fall for him.

Even if I did, what do a mechanic and a veterinarian have in common anyway?

It’s better if we’re only friends… friends who occasionally fiddle with each other’s crankshafts…"]

I thought everything sounded familial, and I thought I was just either going crazy or read too many of these things, but I was actually right. The Big Bull Mechanics series is connected to/in the same universe as the Four Bears Construction series. Porter is the cute vet that half of the Bears dated before they got their own, not-with-Porter happily ever after, and now, he finally gets his own HEA, which he fuuuuulllllllllly deserves, almost more than anyone else at this point.

And these two! God, these two! They had their own crazy, hectic, never-a-day-off, never-a-dull-moment lives, with absolutely zero room for anything more than a one-night-stand (said one-night-stand didn't go nearly as well as planned--in a really cute way), but the universe had different plans. Spoiler Alert: a fluffy as all fuck happily ever after, filled with stolen moments and unwavering support and injured bunnies and puppy kisses. This is one of those books I want to wipe from my memory so I can read it all over again.

After the end of the book, K.M. promised more books in this series with all of the, and I quote, "K.M. Neuhold swoony filth you love." Which, is suuuuuuuuper accurate. I liiiiiiiteraly can't wait for more of these mechanics, their own love stories already hinted at (at least I hope so).

#crankshaft #kmneuhold #bigbullmechanics #bigbullmechanicsseries #fourbearsconstruction #fourbearsconstructionseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Forever Con Amor (For Him series #4)

I stumbled across this series (For Him by A.M. Johnson) after an email recommendation came my way from Saxon James. The fourth book is titled “Forever Con Amor.”

["Chance,
I never in a million years thought I would want a guy who smells like a tree and probably hugs them on the daily, but alas, you've somehow snuck your sexy, khaki-covered ass into my life. It doesn't help that we're stuck living in this apartment together for God knows how long, but I can't stop thinking about that kiss. I know I said it was one and done, and maybe that's the smart thing to do since I'm not convinced of your emotional availability. Maybe I'm a masochist. Or, maybe I might kind of like you. I said what I said.
No regrets,
Marcos~

Marcos,
Your ability to simultaneously compliment and insult me is probably one of my favorite things about you. I think it's part of your charm. Does that make me a masochist as well? I definitely like to torture myself. The night I kissed you, I knew it had the potential to push you away, but I couldn't stop myself from wanting you. I still can't. You can flirt and bully me all you like. I'm not going anywhere. I've finally found my home, and it's here. And just in case you need me to be more specific, I like you too.
Forever, con amor…
Chance~"]

Heeeeaaavily referenced in the third book (I mean, most series like this do that, but this one was really well done), and lived up to the hype/angst.

Everyone (characters) said that Wilder (the first book) was dramatic as fuck and Over The Top,  but I honestly didn't see it. Yes, he was Extra, but not in a I've-totally-seen-this-before-and-it's-unique-but-not-capital-U-unique kinda way..if that makes sense. Marcos on the other hand... Now, he's Unique. 

These two!!!!! *heart eyes* They danced around each other and their mutual adoration/fascination for so long, and you just kinda wanted to shake some sense into them. And then they finally accepted their feelings, they fell h a r d. I loved them sooooo much and their opposites-attract chemistry and how they complimented and grounded each other. They made it seem so damn easy.

What a fantastic ending to this series. I can't wait to go read the rest of A.M. Johnson's stuff.

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, lightly described but still horrible hate crimes, violence, transphobia, anxiety, self-hate mixed with imposter syndrome, not so great coming out stories, etc. 

#lovewalwayswild #notsosincerelyyours #dearmrbrody #towhomitmayconcern #foreverconamor #forhim #forhimseries #amjohnson #saxonjames #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks