Simply Graceless

Monday, August 7, 2023

#NotJason (The Banshee House #1)

Another day, another paranormal read (because why the hell not?). Here's Jennifer Cody's "#NotJason," part of her The Banshee House series (it focuses on different members of the same boarding house--with certain..unique rules and games).

["When I meet Luke at an Ultimate Frisbee tournament, he’s instantly just the kind of guy I want to get to know better. That he’s the one who asks me out? Well, I’m not going to say no. Our first date goes off without a hitch. He is literally everything I could ever want in a man. Nerd and jock, shy and excitable, competitive in the bedroom yet submissive just the way I like it. It’s not until our second date that I realize why.

I don’t know why these twins are trying to play me, but I’ve got a competitive streak a mile wide, and I will win this game, no matter who started it."]

I didn't even realize this book was prn until maybe 50% in or more (only then because I picked up on very subtle clues--heavier ones came later, right before one of the key reveals in this story--though there was hints before that that I hadn't picked up on).

This book was SO. FUCKING. CUTE. I mean, honestly. It was so sweet and fluffy and so. fucking. steamy. It was hot as hell. Nearly all of it was just smut, beautiful and dirty smut.

I want more of this series. More idiots in falling in love. More paranormal queers with kinks. More...Just more.

#notjason #thebansheehouse #thebansheehouseseries #jennifercody #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Sunday, August 6, 2023

The Trouble With Trying To Love A Hellion (Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees #3)

I accidentally stumbled across this series recently. The title caught my eye, the blurb intrigued me, the cover upped the antee, and the first chapter (of the first book) had me utterly and hopelessly hooked (and I'm normally not all for dark romances--or paranormal romances). The series is "Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees" by Jennifer Cody. The third book is "The Trouble With Trying To Love A Hellion."

["Um…I was told I’m supposed to summarize my story here, but recently I’ve learned that blurbs are hard so I’m not sure what to say.

My name is Edovard Durand Folange. I’m twenty seven years old from Fresno, California, and recently I moved across the country to live with my new parents and brother. Oppa kills people for a living, and Papa is his announcer guy, and my brother is like his assistant, and I guess it turns out I’m the person the magic tells who needs to die—it’s called being an Augur. I don’t really know what that word means, but even though it’s scary, I’m getting used to it.

It’s nice to have a job, but Santanos (he’s the Avatar of Evil) offered me a second job, and I’m really excited about that because I get to work with him and help him fix the minions. A lot of them aren’t doing very well, so my second job is to make sure that everyone gets as much love as they need in their lives. Sometimes that means killing people who are stealing all the love away from them. I guess maybe I’m a little evil too, because I don’t mind letting Oppa kill those people to save the minions.

The Trouble with Trying to Love a Hellion is a 50k MM+ paranormal romance, featuring a cinnamon roll narrator with more than the usual amount of love to give and a sultry incubus who happens to be the Avatar of Evil. If the minions are especially affectionate with the cinnabun, well, who can blame them when he’s the best cuddler they’ve ever met?

Contents include: blood, viscera, someone dies because they call Edovard dumb, and Edovard accidentally creates a polycule, but that’s ok because he’s just making sure everyone gets enough love to be emotionally healthy"]

All of the heart eyes. Edovard is the himbo of all himbos and the puppy-est of all puppies and the softest, sweetest, most caring and loving individual ever. Like, seriously. He wants everyone to be happy and know they're loved. He spends his time handing out warm hugs and validations. It's so fucking beautiful and lovely. And did/does all of this after the Avatar of Evil falls for him (and he falls for the Avatar of Evil). He loves these little evil minions and Santanos (who he correctly compares the Gru and the famous yellow minions) and supports them for their love and passion of evil, even if he's a golden-hearted good guy.

This story was fabulous and a worthy contender while we wait for the rest of the series to come.

Trigger warnings: violence I guess (I mean you read the title...and the blurb...and the cover--connect the dots), but in all honestly they all deserved to be murdered (you'll see); murder, attempted kidnapping, blood, gore, and more

#thetroublewithtryingtodateamurderer #foxrecruitsamuteboyandfallsinlove #thetroublewithtryingtosaveanassassin #thetroublewithtryingtoloveahellion #jennifercody #murderspreesandmutedecrees #murderspreesandmutedecreesseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Saturday, August 5, 2023

The Trouble With Trying To Save An Assassin (Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees #2)

I accidentally stumbled across this series recently. The title caught my eye, the blurb intrigued me, the cover upped the antee, and the first chapter (of the first book) had me utterly and hopelessly hooked (and I'm normally not all for dark romances--or paranormal romances). The series is "Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees" by Jennifer Cody. The second book is "The Trouble With Trying To Save An Assassin."

["Romily:
You know what I’d like to know? Where the hell my romantic, how-we-got-engaged story is. Am I going to get it any time soon? Where is my bigass diamond?

Unfortunately, all that relationship angst gets put on hold when my beloved son, Bellamy, is abducted by a werewolf-ish person I kinda like. Am I going to get my kid back? You betcha. The question is, how many people does Fox have to kill first?

The Trouble With Trying to Save an Assassin is the second book in the Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees Series. It's a 60k word M/M Paranormal Romance with plenty of sass, gore, and questionable decision-making skills, and now there are tiny tables too."]

Like the way Romily just adopted Bellamy in the first book was so sweet (and random—and accidental), and seeing their relationship and this whole found family continue to flourish was amazing.

Until we’ll Bellamy got kidnapped, and Darcy caught on fire, and Fox live-streamed hai threats, and nutmeg was one of the culprits. Yea, half of that doesn’t make any sense (because you need to go read this serious, seriously—especially because Romily accidentally and randomly and sweetly adopts another human being).

Heartstopper Season Two

The second season of Heatstopper was everything I was hoping for and so much more. The second season was just as fabulous and inclusive and canon accurate and just *fan-girl sounds* as the first season.

This series is a giant queer bandaid for the heart. It's not perfect (far from it), but it shines a light on so many different sexualities and genders and abilities and family styles and races and life in general.

It's not easy being an adult and questioning one's sexuality or their place in the world (or both). Add being a teen to the mix? All of those hormones and expectations and responsibilities? Yeah, that's a mind fuck just thinking about it, let alone living it. And so many individuals are. SO. MANY. Having a positive (and angsty) representation of all of this is so important. Having something for teens, tweens, children, and hell, even adults, to see is so fucking special. Seeing what is possible, what is out there, and what support looks like? Knowing that you're not broken? Knowing that there's people out there somewhere that care for you? Knowing that no matter what, you can be you, whoever or whatever or wherever you are? That's one of Heartstopper's many, many impacts.

Plus the found family and first loves? Add in the unique way that Alice Oseman (author and illustrator of the graphic novel series this show is based on--this seasons is mainly based on Volume Three (and a bit of Four (maybe even a bit of Two))) depicts mental health, in all of it's forms?

There's so much to say, and my thoughts are all scrambled. Add in all of the cute sparks and floating leaves and pulsing flowers and colorful butterflies from Alice's original texts? It's just...

You need to watch this show. All of it. And read the graphic novels. It's important for all of the reasons above and more.

Trigger Warnings: anxiety, depression, homophobia, internalized homophobia, bullying, self-image issue, body-image issues, self-harm, eating disorders, transphobia, violence, forced coming out, fear of coming out because teenage bullies are taught by adult bullies and sometimes the world sucks, etc

#heartstopper #heartstoppervolumeone #heartstoppervolumetwo #heartstoppervolumethree #heartstoppervolumefour #aliceoseman #netflix #webtoon #graphicnovel #queergraphicnovel #YAgraphicnovel #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Good Omens 2

The second season of Good Omens came out last week. I finally put life and reading on hold to binge-watch it (in one sitting). I have a few things to share. This post will contain spoilers (you've been warned).

1) The first season was better. Yes, this season was good, and it touched on Crowley and Aziraphale's relationship through the years, which was a well loved montage from season one. It touched on other queer couples. It touched on a second possible apocalypse (foreshadowed at the end of season one). It touched on the odd budding friendship of Gabriel and Beelzebub (also foreshadowed at the end of season one--greatly and fantastically expanded upon in season two). It did a few very minor touchbacks to season one for the fans. It had a few Queen songs (but nothing like the first season).
Season two, overall, just like...ehh-ed and very much paled in comparison to season one. Season one was so excellent and so much like the book and so perfectly done and so far above expectations. Season two just.... I'm a little disappointed to be honest.

2) Is it queerbaiting still if the queer couple in question does eventually actually kiss? I mean, Crowley and Aziraphale finally did on-screen kiss. But in the last five minutes of the last episode. And then they like broke up? I mean, I guess you can't break up if you were never actually together.
Which brings me to another thing. We all assumed they were off and on and almost but not quite together this whole time. We assumed they were aware of their feelings of each other. We assumed the queer elephant in the room was talked about or SOMETHING. It wasn't. It was fully confirmed that it wasn't right before said kiss. Which ruins some things for me, too. Which like makes the queerbaiting of season one (which wasn't too bait-y in my opinion because it was sooo fucking obvious they were together--ineffable husbands and all that) so much worse.
And they just like...went their separate ways. They always fight, but they always just ignore it or apologize or do a minor miracle to make up for it. But this seemed pretty damn significant.

3) It just...overall seemed less than them. Crowley had grown more as a character. Aziraphale kind of just...seemed like he really would too, but then he took a large step off a cliff into how he used to be.
It was great to see exactly how and when and where and why Crowley and Aziraphale started thinking morally gray, but in the end Aziraphale picked stark white again, after everything they did to him, leaving Crowley alone and heartbroken and confused and alone (yes, I said it twice, but Aziraphale was his only friend since the very very beginning. The only one who understood him. The only one who knew the really him. The only one he trusted. Crowley remembered the hellfire and the nasty bullying they did to his best friend. Crowley put himself out there, put his fucking heart and soul on the line, only to be brushed off).

4)There's probably more, but like, I just...these characters and this season disappointed me a little.

#goodomens #goodomens2 #goodomenstheniceandaccuratepropheciesofagnesnutterwitch #neilgaiman #terrypratchett #books #LGBTbooks #booksmadeintomovies #booksmadeintoTV #bookstagram #Bookphotography #ineffablehusbands #ilovebooks

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Fox Recruits a Mute (And Falls In Love) (Murder Sprees and Mute Dercees #1.5)

I accidentally stumbled across this series recently. The title caught my eye, the blurb intrigued me, the cover upped the antee, and the first chapter (of the first book) had me utterly and hopelessly hooked (and I'm normally not all for dark romances--or paranormal romances). The series is "Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees" by Jennifer Cody. The next book is "Fox Recruits a Mute (And Falls In Love)."

["Romily:
Are you wondering what meeting me was like for the love of my life, Arlington Fox? Well, as Fox tells it, it was magical. Obviously.

Fox:
Romily asked me to do this, and I would do anything for that cute, fiery ball of optimism and silver linings except share him. He’s mine and I will fight you for him. No exceptions.

Fox Recruits a Mute Boy is a 5k word short story as told from Fox's point of view about how he met his soul's mate. Content Warning: blood, gore, flying limbs, and ridiculous requests from polyamorous fathers."]

I liiiiiived for this novella. I was desperate for Fox's first and second and third impressions of Romily.

Fox has this reputation as a bad ass from (somewhere close to) hell. No one crosses him. No one touches him. No one messes with what is his. He's tough as nail and all those other cliches. Plus he's excellent with a gun and an expert swordsman (and other blades). Annnd he looks even better (worse?--whichever is scarier and sexier) covered in blood. Picture that, plus a secret cinnamon roll. A man obsessed with the balance of good and evil (and tables for whatever reason--and now Romily). AKA Dean Winchester when he's around Castiel (or vice versa). THAT'S Fox. Need I say more?

The Trouble With Trying to Date a Murderer (Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees #1)

I accidentally stumbled across this series recently. The title caught my eye, the blurb intrigued me, the cover upped the antee, and the first chapter (of the first book) had me utterly and hopelessly hooked (and I'm normally not all for dark romances--or paranormal romances). The series is "Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees" by Jennifer Cody. The first book is "The Trouble With Trying To Date A Murderer."

["Third time’s the charm, right? At least that’s what I tell myself when I witness the same hot guy commit mass murder three times in a few days. I’m either the luckiest mute boy ever or possibly the unluckiest. Who knows, maybe him kidnapping me will turn into the greatest love story ever told? Hey, it could happen! You never know how these things will turn out. I happen to believe in love and soulmates, and if nothing else, Arlington Fox doesn’t treat my disability like a nuisance. It’s not everyday you find someone who just gets you, and I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth even if the horse in question is a man so good at killing people that I should probably introspect a bit about why that skews my moral compass and possibly my kinks. But c’mon, competence is sexy, amiright?

The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer is an MM Paranormal Romance with lots of sass, humor, a ridiculous 3000 year age-gap, and an inordinate number of tables.

"Arlington Fox is so smexy, but if he accidentally gets blood on one of my suits again, we're going to have words." —Romily Butcher, aka the narrator.

"I'd never accidentally get blood on any of his suits." —Arlington Fox, aka Future Husband."]

I fell in love with Romily so fucking quickly. He needed some tea and blanket (and his future husband to notice him already--don't worry, Romily made that happy pretty damn quickly). Like you need to read this now. Now-now. Or even yesterday-now.

Everyone bends to him and his humor and his love, and I'm all here for it. Like soooo here for it. He deserves everything. He made himself the perfect found family with a future husband, a first-born, four grandfathers, a sugar Daddy, an almost nemesis, and so. much. more. Seriously, read this book.

Also, totally agree with Romily: competence is sexy. ;)