Shameless Puckboy (Puckboy series #3)

This book has been calling to me since it came out months ago (again with me trying to avoid the angst, but like... Never mind, you'll see what I mean). Saxon James and Eden Finely teamed up (yet again) on the fabulous Puckboy series. The third installment is titled "Shameless Puckboy."

["OSKAR

After a little mishap in an alleyway with CCTV, my public image needs fixing. Oops?
It might have been a stunt to get the attention of Lane Pierce, San Jose’s new PR manager, but I didn’t realize what the consequences would be when I did it. I’ve got Lane’s sole focus now in all the wrong ways.
He has designated himself as my babysitter, and while it’s fun messing with him, being bound by curfews and rules has never worked for me.
The more I push back, the more I realize what’s really on the line. My career, my future, and maybe even my heart.

LANE
Being appointed head of San Jose’s PR department was a dream come true … until I met Oskar Voyjik.
He may be San Jose royalty, but with the stunts Oskar’s been pulling, the team owner is down to his last thread of patience. Which puts me in the firing line. If I can’t turn Oskar’s entitled party boy image around, we’ll both be shown the door.
I have free rein to do whatever it takes, and it turns out whatever it takes is Oskar.
Only, the more entangled our lives become, the more I see the Oskar he’s buried deep down. The one who hurts, the one who’s sensitive and kind, the one … the one I think I’m falling for.
I can’t have him and my career, and if rumors of the professional lines I’ve crossed get out, it’s not only my dream job I can kiss goodbye; I’ll be disgraced from professional sports completely."]

I literally...no words for this book. I thought I knew where this book was going and how Lane would "handle" Oskar (and okay, I was right about that), but holy. shit. The emotions and the angst and the mutual pining and the emotions and the angst (there was a lot of emotions and angst, okay?!). 

Lane is attracted to men who are secretly sad inside, need "fixed", and can be vulnerable (Oskar). Oskar is attracted to...well a lot, but deep down he needs (and wants) someone who can see him for him and not the persona, someone who can take care of him, someone who won't judge him (Lane).

Except, there's all of this double-meaning shit and saying one thing but meaning the other, and its fucking up their communication and making the falling in love harder, and UGH. 

Of course, they made it there (obviously), but there was a little more (or a lot--I might have sobbed) drama (and emotion and angst) before they get to the HEA.

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

Goodbye, February!

February was soooo freaking long (for being the shortest month of the year). The weather was up and down and all everywhere, which didn't help regulate any sort of mental health or health health or well, anything.

  

2023 Resolutions:
     (1) Write [almost] every day...or at least think about it
     (2) Don't stop reading
     (3) Make something (e.g. a memories)
     (4) Share love of books/writing
     (5) Be kinder to myself

(1) *Sigh* Still nothing.

(2) Books read this month: 26 (might get one more in there before midnight though). 

(3) I'm changing this one a bit. Making something can also be memories or dreams. Therefore, I'm going to start counting those from now on too. In February, I went to the symphony, dinner with my friends a few times, a concert with my aunt. I got a few new tattoos, tried a few new foods.

(4) Posts this month (including this one): 15.

(5) Well, February start off strong with a bunch of salads and exercising... Then I got bored and lazy. I got a cold or two this month, so I'd like to blame those, but..I was feeling lazy and stressed and I just ended up eating a lot of my feelings. A few not-so-great mental days. Could have been better, but also could have been worse...

Anyone still holding onto their resolutions?

Any exciting March reads?
Anything I should check out?

#newyearsresolutions #goodbyefebruary #hellomarch #hello2023 #keeplearning #writeeveryday #dontstopreading #makesomething #shareloveofbooks #bekindertoself #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Prince of Lies

I wanted to start this the day it came out, but sometimes I need an angst-free romance (or an angst-filled mystery...which doesn't help the anxiety at. all.). Either way, here I am, starting Lucy Lennox's brand new novel "Prince of Lies" a little later than I had originally tended (but better late than never).

["Rowe Prince is a lying liar who windmills into my life in full color, claiming to be Sterling Chase, a quirky, eccentric billionaire… and founder of the company I created.

Two can play at the lying game, though, and I’m not about to let some burrito-delivering, floppy-haired virgin from Indiana best me at a game I was born to play.

So I do him one better and pretend to be Sterling Chase’s new assistant. I’ll teach him a lesson that will hopefully wind us both up in bed… with nothing but the truth between us.

But it turns out his shameless lies are enchanting… unintentionally hilarious… and make it all too easy to forget the truth…

Until I learn that this cutie’s intent is to defraud the company I’ve spent years building. I have to choose: risk the company or say goodbye to the man I’m falling for. A guy who just might be…

The Prince of Lies"]

Except there wasn't nearly as much angst as I thought, because Rowe can't lie for shit. 

I mean, there's still the whole secret-identity thing (among a few other bits of juicy drama), but it was almost like a Cinderella story...if the prince knew Cinderella was just a poor girl in a magic dress ("did I want the business deal or the fairy tale"--fucking hell, now I'm crying).

This book was soooooo goooooood D: I want the rest of the series right now (or like, yesterday).

#princeoflies #lucylennox #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Dirty Steal (Dirty Players #2)

Not sure why it took me soooo long to read the second book in Lauren Blakely and K.D. Casey's Dirty Players series as it is. Espeically considering that it was a novella and took me a hour... Here's "Dirty Steal."

["One bed, two players, and another chance in this steamy standalone sports romance…

After how this season has gone so far — don’t ask — the last thing I need is a distraction.

Like, say, my spring training one-night stand showing up in my dugout. If it’s not annoying enough that the hot new shortstop with the heart-stopping smile has been traded to my team, the golden guy now needs a place to stay.

When one of my big-mouthed teammates suggests the new star player shack up in my spare room, I’ve got myself a helluva problem — and it’s getting bigger with my eager, interested, and too-sexy teammate sharing my kitchen, my shower…and then, late one night, my bed.

But before I know it, all these late nights together are making me want things I just can’t have with my teammate.

And if I’m not careful, he’ll be stealing my heart too…"]

This book was terribly cute! It was practically love at first sight (or love after lust at first sight). They both had the same thoughts of "why'd I go/why'd he leave" to "damn I want more" to "I shouldn't be feeling this much this fast" to "damn I messed up" to "I really like to" (spoiler. alert.).

It was fluffy and steamy and they just...clicked. 

#dirtyslide #dirtysteal #dirtyplayers #dirtyplayersseries #laurenblakely #kdcasey #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone

Not reeeaaally sure where I stumbled across this book, but it's title caught my attention right away. "Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone." W o w. What a title. (by Benjamin Stevenson)

["Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I'm not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate.

I'm Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I'd killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it's a little more complicated than that.

Have I killed someone? Yes. I have.
Who was it?
Let's get started."]

This book is told in a very honest and blunt but funny point of view. It plays on the tropes of other popular murder mysteries as well as certain genre cliches. It starts with the membership oath of the Detective Club and the 10 Commandments of Detective Fiction. Ernie even tells you he's a reliable narrator, but he can only know so much being both a person and the "author" of the book. It's just all very quirky and fun.

Okay, so fun is an odd adjective, because it is a murder mystery, and there are a lot of murders (Ernie even tells you which chapters they're in during the prologue in case you just want to skip to those).

And there’s so many spoilers! But they’re mentioned quickly and buried in the thick of other details so you totally forget about them until well after they become relevant again.

This book almost reminds me of a Benoit Blanc or Hercule Poirot movie. So. Good! Though a little slow in the beginnings. Still, a major recommend. ((Also, just saw it’s going to be made into a series so gahhhh!!))

I should also point out that this is not a family or killers (spoiler alert of my own). I assumed they were all murderers and criminals, but they’re just..average people with terrible luck.

#everyoneinmyfamilyhaskilledsomeone #benjaminstevenson #ernestcunningham #ernestcunninghamseries #thriller #murdermystery #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Tempting (Reckless Love #2)

Not sure how I skipped an entire series by Saxon James. At. All. Let's remedy that. Here's the second and final book to Saxon's "Reckless Love" series, titled "Tempting."

(Also, was anyone going to tell me I spend two years spelling Saxon's name wrong?)

["After living a life at the top of the NFL, being taken out before my time, with a stupid injury, is a hard pill to swallow. And I’m willing to do anything in my power to get back in.
Only when I attend the wedding of my good friend and ex-teammate, I come face to face with the man I’ve been secretly pining after all these years. The only problem? Liam’s my friend’s ex, and after being a dirty little secret for too long, he’s sworn himself off football players.
No matter how hard I try, I can’t get him out of my head, so I propose the dumbest of all dumb ideas: a baby bi bucket list.
The more he helps me work through it, the more time we spend together, and the more I try to win him over. He’s hell bent against another football player, but I’m retired now. I can feel him slipping, and if he does, I’m faced with an impossible choice.
Ask him to be another secret.
Or tell my friend I’ve shacked up with his ex.
And while I thought violating brocode was going to be my biggest problem, I didn’t expect to get the call.
Another shot at the big time. A second chance at the NFL.
Everything I’d been hoping for. Except Liam.
Because if I take it, I’ll lose any chance of having him for good."]

"Tempting" was previous published as "Calling Your Bluff" and part of a series previous titled Love's A Gamble (let's go with that being the reason I missed this book/series...). Liam is Taryn's ex, and Zan is Taryn's best friend (Taryn is from book one).

This book had all of the fluff and the sweetness! There was so much hypothetical dates and cheesy pet names and gaining trust. They didn’t listen to what other people said, only what their hearts said. Oh yeah, and all of that steamy goodness!! 

#denial #risky #tempting #recklesslove #recklessloveseries #saxonjames #goodtimesandtanlines #betonme #callingyourbluff #lovesagamble #lovesagambleseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Risky (Reckless Love #1)

Not sure how I skipped an entire series by Saxon James. At. All. Let's remedy that. Here's the first official book to Saxon's "Reckless Love" series, titled "Risky."

(Also, was anyone going to tell me I spend two years spelling Saxon's name wrong?)

["My life in the NFL is a dream. Paid to play ball, to hang out with my team, to travel all across the country. I have everything I ever hoped for.
Except the guts to come out.
When my boyfriend gets tired of hiding in the closet and walks out on me, I make an easy decision: no more dating until I’m through with football. These are the best years of my career, and there’s no telling when retirement will hit. Head down. Focus. No regrets.
And then I wake up from a drunken night out with the team to find a new number in my phone. A Friend.
He doesn’t know who I am and I don’t know who he is, and having someone to talk to anonymously is freeing. He’s funny and a total flirt. The first name on my phone when I wake and the last person I speak to before I fall asleep at night.
He’s also the man I’m falling for.
I want to meet him, but that means revealing who I am, and as much as I want to trust him, it’s still risky. Risky he’ll out me. Risky someone will see us together.
I promised myself no more dating for this reason.
But he makes me want to take the risk."]

"Risky" was previous published as "Bet On Me" and part of a series previous titled Love's A Gamble (let's go with that being the reason I missed this book/series...). Elliott is Rainer's (prologue book) best friend.

This book!!!! D: I was smiling and laughing like a right idiot the entire time! Okay, not the entire time; there was a lot of sobbing and not-breathing. They were so sweet and perfect for each other and it was easy! Okay, so it was far from easy, for soooooo many reasons, but holy. shit. This book!! These men!! The love!! D: 

#denial #risky #tempting #recklesslove #recklessloveseries #saxonjames #goodtimesandtanlines #betonme #callingyourbluff #lovesagamble #lovesagambleseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks