The Map Home (Collier's Creek Christmas)

Here's Elle Keaton's "The Map Home." It's a part of the multi-author series, Collier's Creek Christmas.

["Stolen toys and a naughty St. Nick. Will a holiday crime spree bring two hearts together?

Ask Dakota and he’ll say the wall around his heart is high and the moat deep for a reason. Love is a lie.

If Tad knows one single truth, it’s that Dakota is his personal North Star. Dakota, the boy Tad bonded with at fourteen, has grown into Dakota, the man he loves. The second, more frustrating truth, is that Dakota is one of the most stubborn people on the planet.

Dakota craves a simple existence. Work. Sleep. Eat. Hang out with his best friend. Keep things platonic. No one knows him better than Tad.

The holidays have arrived, and it’s supposed to be a time of celebration, but some blackhearted person steals the donations to the town toy box. Dakota finds himself working the case of the purloined toys, while Tad fills in at the town newspaper. It’s inevitable their paths will cross.

Tad is fine with crossing paths--and more. Is it going too far adding Dakota Green to the top of his Christmas wish list?

And what will it take for Dakota to realize that he deserves happiness? That Tad, the person who knows him best, is the one for him?"]

These two. My freaking goodness, these two. Both so hopelessly in love and so afraid to do anything about it. So afraid of what the other will think, of their friendship being ruined, of change itself. 

Luckily, something, someone, Christmas itself maybe, gave them both the push they needed to find home.

I loved them. And I loooooved how everyone in their lives knew automatically when they changed from friends to something more. The entire town celebrated. It was adorable as hell.

And now I have the OG series...

#themaphome #ellekeaton #collierscreekchristmasseries #collierscreek #collierscreekseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Goodbye, November!

November felt like one of those months that lasted forever. Forrrever. Halloween feels like it was ages ago.

2024 Resolutions:

     (1) Don't stop reading
            (b) Complete Monthly Reading Challenge(s)
     (2) Make memories
     (3) Share love of books/writing
     (4) Be kinder to myself

(1) Books read this month: 40 (might get one more in there before midnight though).
    (b) Monthly Reading Challenge(s): Shape = Turkey. Got some A-Z stuff recorded. Some serious ARCs. 

(2) November Memories: Thanksgiving with my family. A few good calls in with my sister. I turned 30 a few weeks ago. Dinner with friends. Food, baked goodies, hot cocoa. 

(3) Posts this month (including this one): 35.

(4) There's a fine line between treating oneself and over indulging; I'm not sure if any adult as figured that line out yet, but here's to continue toeing it. BUT some good baked goods, looooots of naps, soooooo much hot cocoa. I could have done worse this month.

Anyone still holding onto their resolutions?

Any exciting December reads?
Anything I should check out?

#newyearsresolutions #goodbyenovember #hellodecember #hello2024 #keeplearning #dontstopreading #monthlyreadingchallenge #makememories #shareloveofbooks #bekindertoself #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Here Comes Santa Paws (Christmas Falls: Season Two #4)

AHHHH! We're back to Christmas Falls for Seasons Two!! Here's Lee Blair's "Here Comes Santa Paws."

["When a sunshiny cinnamon stick with paws-itively purrfect holiday plans meets a grumpy Grinch neighbor with a smokin’ hot... chimney, bells aren’t the only thing jingling.

I spend all year gearing up for the Christmas Falls festival season. Those five weeks are showtime for the animal shelter, and I’ve got it down to a science to help all my four-legged friends find their furever homes.

My well-oiled machine goes off track when I discover a massive leak at the shelter. And Grandpa, my only family, is recovering from a hip replacement, and I can’t stop worrying about our latest shelter dog. To put a star on the top of my anxiety tree, Roman, my Scrooge neighbor, is giving me a hard time about the festive decor on my half of our duplex. It’s not my fault I’ve got more Christmas spirit in my pinky than he does in his entire broad-shouldered body.

But something about Roman tells me he could love Christmas and this town as much as I do if he just gave them a chance. I don’t care if I’ve got a thousand other priorities on my list, I’m making it my holiday mission to get him to let down his guard and show me the wonderful and caring man behind the terse talk and award-winning RBF. It’s like opening a present on Christmas morning and seeing exactly what you wanted from Santa.

It’s all tinsel and sugar cookies until my heart decides it wants Roman under the tree. But his New Year’s resolution is to leave town, and I can’t let myself fall for a man who doesn’t plan to stick around.

Christmas Falls is my forever home. How do I convince him it could be his?"]

I absolutely LOVE it when the grump in the classic grump/sunshine trope is secretly a giant fucking teddy bear. A teddy bear who is soooo fucking soft for his sunshine (and his dog). And Elias is sunshine for sure, Christmas colored, loud, and full of love to share. Good thing Elias cracked Roman's hard outer-shell when he did, or we might have lost Roman to Grinch-status forever.

These two were adorable as hell. Neighbor crushes for years. Turned into lusting from afar. Turned to friends. Turned to so much more. More than either of them were ever expecting.

I love how each of the books in this series are so different. Like this one isn't all about the events and the feeling of community, but it was still so warm and inviting and so very Christmas Falls.

#grr #gayromancereview #arcs #arcteammember
#herecomessantapaws #leeblair #christmasfalls #christmasfallsseaontwo #christmasfallsseries #christmasfallsseasontwoseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Hunting His Vampire Mate (Blood Bonded Mates #4)

"Hunting His Vampire Mate" is the fourth book in Jay Castle's Blood Bonded Mates series.

["DANNY
I’ve been hunting monsters for as long as I can remember, and for the last five years, Michael’s been by my side. He’s not just my partner—he’s my best friend. Things were simple. Then, four months ago, I thought we were both about to die. And I blurted out something I hadn’t even admitted to I’m in love with him.
I always thought I was straight but there’s no denying that Michael is my person. He always has been.
Except he doesn’t feel the same. Worse, now it seems like he’s planning to quit hunting. And every moment I have left with him is a reminder that he’s about to walk out of my world for good.

MICHAEL
Five years ago, vampires took everything from me. The only thing that’s kept me together since then is Danny. He’s my home, even if he doesn’t know it. I’d do anything for him. But I can’t allow myself to love him. Not like he wants.
The last time I let someone in, I lost everything. Maybe I’m the bad guy for pretending like nothing’s changed between us, but Danny’s confession is the one thing I can’t deal with. I can’t let myself be weak again. I won’t.
But every day that passes, I see the hurt in his eyes and it’s getting worse. And I know that if I don’t figure this out soon, I’m going to lose him for good."]

I'll be honest. I wasn't sure about this couple. Yes, they both had redemption arcs in the previous book, but I wasn't sure I liked them. And then, in the first few chapters of this book, they just...didn't communicate (on. purpose.). about their feelings, about the Danny's confession, about their future. It was torture for both of them for no reason. 

HOWEVER, when they eventually talked...after shit hit the fan...it was adorable as hell. And confusing. OF COURSE, these two broke the mold and created their own path. It's very them of them. 

ANNND Thierry's book is next!!!! :D I'm far too excited for the snark (and the enemies-to-lovers (and the snark)).

Trigger Warnings: violence (though, never ((ever)) against an intimate partner), depictions of death (both on page and mentions), on-page displays of grief, a flashback scene involving a scary clown (yes, I’m including this as a possible trigger—those of you with clown phobia: you’re welcome. Also, clowns are terrifying).

#gayromancereviews #grr #arcs #arcteammember
#snowedinwiththevampireprince #embracinghisvampiremate #marriedtothevampireking #huntinghisvampiremate #bloodbondedmates #bloodbondedmatesseries #jaycastle #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The (Maybe) Murderer Who Knocked Me Up (Trash Pandas #1)

Responsibilities, who? I was paused by the author, stopped by the title, and utterly stuck by the blurb. Here's Amy Bellows's new series, Trash Pandas. The first book is "The (Maybe) Murderer Who Knocked Me Up."

["I’m the runt of the litter. Not only am I much smaller than my four raccoon shifter brothers, I’m always behind. They all know what they want to do with their lives, and they can’t wait to move away from home to follow their dreams. All I know is that I like to bake, and I like Slade—the huge grizzly shifter next door who my brothers say I should stay away from.

I’m not very good at taking advice, apparently.

Less than a week after Slade knocks me up, he goes to prison for murder. He confesses and everything. I shouldn’t harbor a secret hope that he’s innocent. I know that. Which is why I don’t tell him about the baby.

But when he gets out six years later on good behavior, I offer to pick him up. Because I have to know if he’s really as bad as everyone thinks he is."]

This book!!! D: I was hooked pretty damn quickly by the characters and plot. Then I was sobbing. Then I was giggling. It was just sooooo good.

There was so much traditions and lure set up in here that felt sooooo unique. And all of the characters we have to obsess over until each brother gets their own book!!??! I'm not sure I /can/ wait. 

Anywho, Slade and Sequin were perfection. They were each so enamored and cutely obsessed with each other. Then they were each sooooo freaking heartbroken (hence me sobbing). And then, after six long years, they were still so in love and still so obsessed. Except there was so much mutual guilt, mutual pining, and angst, that it took them a while to get together. But they did, eventually.

I canNOT wait for the next book!

#themaybymurdererwhoknockedmeup #thefatedmatebandit #amybellows #trashpandas #trashpandasseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

November's Book Shape Challenge

Here's November's Book Shape Challenge! Happy Gobble Gobble Day!! 

(I picked all of these books at random, based off the color of their cover; not based on: whether I read them or not--most of which I haven't, sense why they were closest).

#reading #readingchallenge #readingdare #bookdare #bookchallenge #alphabetchallenge #beatthebacklog #monthlythemes #monthlychallenge #bookshape #bookshapechallenges #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The First Assistant (Charmed Away Temp Agency #0.5)

AHH! I just finished Amy Padilla's prequel for her Charmed Away Temp Agency series: "The First Assistant," and I'm over here giggling and grinning like a maniac. This novella is available through her email subscription (and #BookFunnel).

["Ari never should have agreed to this. All he wanted was to help his friend. But when he's volunteered to act as a temp in her stead, he realized he should have been more specific about what he was willing to do for her. Especially when he got several warnings about the grumpy demon he'd be working with. Surely he could get out of this. Right?

Xander didn't need a temporary assistant. He could handle things on his own while his regular assistant was away on maternity leave. Tell that to his boss, who hired someone behind his back. A beautiful someone who was criminally shy and made Xander want to hold him close and protect him from the world. Those kinds of thoughts wouldn't do. He was a professional and Ari was only here temporarily. He could control himself around the sweet man. Hopefully."]

And the bonus tags (because they're arguable better than the blurb itself): ["prequel, Xander doesn't need help, his boss says otherwise, Ari is a shy boi, being a temp is hard, there's nothing wrong with having a crush on your boss, family meddling, demon weddings, fake wedding date, demons are kind, werewolves are not, guaranteed HEA"]

First off, Ari needs protecting at all costs. Blankets and cocoa, the works. Luckily, Zander is the man demon for the job.

Secondly, I'm not mad (at. all.) that these two managed to fall in love in like two-three weeks, and that it all came to a head during a life-or-death situation (okay, didn't love the associated anxiety all that much). or that our sweet Xander is a bunny shifter (it fits him soooooo well).

The entire novella was pure fluff, honest sweetness, and just enough spice.

It also makes me ache for a Taron book.

#thefirstassistant #theincubssassistant #charmedaway #charmedawayseries #charmedawaytempagency #charmedawaytempagencyseries #amypadilla #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks