Goodbye, Janaury!

A few weeks ago, I told asked 2025 to be kind. So far, I gotta say, it really has been. Let's hope (fingers cross, knock on wood, spin around three times) that it's a good indication of what this year is going to bring.

2025 Resolutions:
     (1) Don't stop reading
            (b) Complete Monthly Reading Challenge(s)
     (2) Make memories
     (3) Share love of books/reading
     (4) Be kinder to myself

(1) Book's Read This Month: 53 (might get one more in there before midnight though).

    (b) Monthly Reading Challenge(s): Shape = Polar Bear. Got some A-Z stuff recorded. Some ARCs. Got a LOOOT of Beat The Backlog done (go me!).

(2) January Memories: We finally got around to our family trip down to visit my sister (after it was delayed to to hurricane season being longer than usual--climate change). We went to a lot of really good places to eat food, hung out a lot, saw more manatees than I could count. Cleaned my grandma's place twice. Babysat some of my babes once. My friends and I went out to dinner..and then dessert. Good things are going on at work: I got promoted to full time AND I'm now the new Children's Programing Coordinator. Had some really productive days off near the end of the books (really racked up those reading totals--and random organization stuff).

(3) Posts this month (including this one): 43

(4) I've been mentally better to myself. Like all months, there are days/moments that are worse than others, but overall, I think it went really nicely. I was able to identify when I was feeling overwhelmed and needed a step back, and I did my best to listen to my mind. I didn't necessarily overindulge this month, but I didn't exactly watch what I ate either. I also didn't (yet) get into the physical side of being kinder to myself (maybe in February?). Annnnnd, I've been really good at telling myself that relaxing, reading, binging TV is an appropriate way to spend my time, that not every hobby has to have a tangible outcome. 

Anyone still holding onto their resolutions?

Any exciting January reads? Any existing 2025 reads?
Anything I should check out?

#newyearsresolutions #goodbyejanuary #hellofebruary #hello2025 #dontstopreading #makememories #shareloveofbooks #shareloveofreading #bekindertomyself #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Savage (Park Avenue Kings #1)

Here's Ella Frank's and Brooke Blaine's "Savage." It's the first novel in their latest series: Park Avenue Kings (which is a spin-off of their Park Avenue Princes series).

["Who are we? Nobody really knows. We’re seven powerful heirs to empires, ruling Manhattan from our thrones on Park Avenue. By day, we’re the elite, untouchable, and more connected than you could ever imagine. By night, we revel in the darkness of our secrets, pulling strings that make the city bow to our whims.
Ruthless.
Dangerous.
We’re the Park Avenue Kings.
In this city of power and desire, where the line between love and obsession blurs, nothing is off-limits—and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

***

He’s the shadow they send to make problems disappear.

Lachlan Stone thrives in the shadows, ruling his world of secrets and power with savage precision. As the most lethal of the Park Avenue Kings, he can’t afford the luxury of attachments. But when a mission takes an unexpected turn, he finds himself saving Cooper Patterson—a determined journalist who stumbles into a dangerous world far bigger than he ever imagined.

Cooper is everything Lachlan should avoid: relentless, curious, and far too tempting for his own good. Worse, his profession threatens to unravel everything Lachlan and his fellow Kings have built. Yet the pull between them is impossible to ignore, even as it sparks a firestorm of desire and danger.

With enemies closing in and the line between truth and lies growing thinner by the second, Lachlan must choose: protect his secrets, or risk it all for the man who sees the humanity in his darkness."]

I loooooove how this book/series took all that was the Park Avenue Princes but multiplied it by the entire city of New York. They control everything behind the scenes, in the shadows, like little kings. They're dangerous and glorious in their power. And yet, Cooper had the power to bring a king to his knees.

Lachlan was GONE for Cooper the moment they met, even if it was far from a meet-cute. He was obsessive and protective and possessive and a little feral/cave-man about it all.
But, Cooper wasn't a whole lot better. He couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious masked man in the alleyway--or the CEO of a security business he met in a coffee shop (yeah, Lachlan made all the choices); as he loses one, he gets more of the other, all the while unaware that they're the same man (the same man willing to put everything on the line for him, even if he doesn't initially understand why).

These two were adorable as hell. There was so much fluff and Feels, so much spice and steam (soooo much), so much heart-eyes and fuck-me-eyes. They complimented each other, even if they were from different worlds. They bring out the best (and the worse) in each other.

Also, I loved how Lachlan (and the others) were sooooo concerned about what King would do/think/say, but King's boyfriend's were the ones to almost blow everything up first so...Think on that. Also x2, I want all of their stories now; all of these other kings making fun of and teasing Lachlan for falling for Cooper, just want until they find their own kryptonite. 

Trigger Warnings: drugs/laced-drugs, off-page overdose, violence, murder, and more.

#forewordprandmarketing #arcs #arcteammember
#savage #unholy #immoral #ruthless #merciless #devilish #parkavenueprinces #parkavenueprincesseries #parkavenuekings #parkavenuekingsseries #ellafrank #brookeblaine #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

January's Book Shape Challenge 2025

Here's January's Book Shape Challenge! An innocent little polar bear. Last year, I went with holiday-themed (mostly) book shape challenges; this year, I'm thinking animals (which is less--and yet more--of a challenge (we'll see how it goes)).

(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 Dragon's Aide (Charmed Away Temp Agency #2)

My GOD. Amy Padilla utterly blew me away with her newest book. "The Dragon's Aide" is the second novel in her latest series, Charmed Away Temp Agency. 

["Isaac went against his family when he refused to join the military. He had dreams and he wasn’t going to cave to family pressure to give them up. So when his boss offers him an opportunity to get some real experience in the job he’s working toward, he leaps at the chance. The only problem is that his new boss is a grumpy dragon with a short fuse known to terrorize the office. But that wasn’t anything Isaac couldn’t handle. Right?

Maverick always had a temper. Most dragons did. It wasn’t something that affected his work. Until it did. Overworked, consistently dealing with incompetence, Maverick was at his wit’s end and in a last bid to keep his temper in check, he agreed with a recommendation to hire a temporary assistant to help him. But when the stubborn pink haired mage shows up, his dragon takes notice and suddenly, Maverick’s limited control has gone up in smoke. Now his career is on the line, and the only person willing to help him was the one who drove him over the edge. Things couldn’t get any worse. Right?"]

And the bonus tags (because they're arguable better than the blurb itself): ["Grumpy dragons are impossible, Isaac takes shit from no one, Maverick loses his temper, angry sex, knots, teamwork makes the dream work, flying is awesome and Isaac wants more, bjs settle dragons, who knew?, telepaths are creepy, or are they?, never talk shit about a dragon’s mate, Isaac’s ideas are reckless, accidental bonding…maybe, two stubborn men fall in love, what could go wrong?, guaranteed HEA."]

Oh. My. Goddess.  

I'm obsessed with these two. Maverick was a grumpy dragon who didn't take care of himself and was generally a glass-half-empty kinda guy. Isaac is a happy mage who doesn't take shit from anyone and was generally a glass-half-full kinda guy. And as we all know, grumpy and sunshine makes the PERFECT match....eventually.

There were quite a few bumps along the way until they reached their happily ever after. And they had quite a few people trying to derail it, BUT they had even more people on their side, cheering (silently, no one wanted to say it to Maverick's face...except Taron) them on. 

Speaking of Taron, I cannot WAIT for his book. That little shit is adorable and trouble and sooooooo in for it when he finds his mate.

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

In Plain Sight (Legacy Mechanics #3)

I had caught up with all of my ARCs, requested a toooon more, and proceeded to avoid them. Oops. Here's Willow Dixon's "In Plain Sight." Its the third novel in her new Legacy Mechanics series (which is tied into her Crimson Club series) 

["Zander
The last thing I expect when I meet the new guy at work is for my life to be thrown into chaos. I’ve spent years hiding my attraction to men, but Luka is funny, outgoing, and for reasons I can’t explain, he sees past my introverted nature and wants to be friends.
I’ve never felt a connection with anyone like I do with Luka. He makes me want to open up and share the parts of myself I usually keep hidden. I don’t want to make things awkward between us, but the more I try to get over my feelings, the harder it is to stay away.
Just when I think my life can’t get any more complicated, I start chatting with a guy on an anonymous kink app. Sinbin might be a stranger, but he’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a man. But then again, so is Luka.
How did I go from never having guy trouble to wanting two men I can’t have?

Luka
Being the new guy at work isn’t easy. Neither is having a crush on one of my coworkers. Zander is quiet and shy, and doesn’t have the best social skills, but he’s also sweet and caring and one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.
I’ve never known anyone like Zander, and the more time we spend together, the harder it is to only see him as a friend. I want him, but he’s straight. And to the outside world, so am I.
In a desperate attempt to get over my crush, I log into an anonymous kink app and start chatting with a man who doesn’t just rock my world but understands me in ways no one else ever has. I might not know what MrNiceGuy looks like, but he feels familiar, like we’ve known each other forever. But then again, so does Zander.
How can I be drawn to two men at the same time? And more how do I choose between them?"]

I almost dropped the book(s) I was binging to read this when it came through my email, BUT I managed to show (some) restraint. And then proceeded to take forever to read through it. Maybe to avoid the drama or trigger warnings. Maybe because I've been binge-reading so much lately. 

While the main/romance plot-line of this was a little trope-y, it was still sooooo good. These two were perfect matches for each other, online and in real life. Mutual crushes, mutual lust, mutual pining, mutual traumas (well, they both had traumas and anxiety, but they weren't match-y-match-y traumas), mutual reservations. They needed each other to be stronger leaned on each other and were able to strengthen themselves with the support of the other (that sounds more green-flag-y). 

AND I had no idea while reading the previous book ("It's Complicated") that it takes place during the timeline of this one, annnnnd it seems like they both take place during the same timeline as the next one ("Off Limits"--which is a stepbrothers romance (and Willow is soooooo great at those!!!)). So many HEAs. *star-eyes emoji* 

Trigger Warnings: religious trauma, homophobia, neglectful and emotionally manipulative/abusive parents, anxiety, and more.

#forewordpr #arc #arcteammember
#flippingthescript #itscomplicated #inplainsight #offlimits #legacymechanics #legacymechanicsseries #crimsonclub #crimsonclubseries #willowdixon #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

One More Time (Timeless #2)

There are too many new books, new-ish books, old-ish book, and older books to pick from (far too many). So I decided to cross off more backlog from my list (or slowly cross off an author from my to-binge list). Here's Cora Rose's "One More Time." It's the second novel in her Timeless series.

["There's something about our new landlord, Alec.

Something that I can't quite place.

He seems familiar, but not. Like maybe I've seen him before.

And sure, he's attractive, strictly objectively speaking. I'm not into dudes.

But he has this intense, piercing stare that I can't look away from.

Eyes that make me feel like they can see right through me.

Like he knows all my secrets.

And I wish he would share them with me because sometimes I feel like I don't even really know myself.

But I do know one thing.

I take my responsibilities to my family and friends very seriously.

And when your best friend is gay, you learn to be the best straight wingman at the gay bar you can be.

And if you happen to hook up with a guy once in a while... well, it doesn't really mean anything.

It's just a good way to relax and unwind.

But when it's Alec who turns up, ready and willing to help me "relax", I know it's a bad idea but I just can't resist.

I tell myself just this once. It won't ever happen again.

Well, maybe just one more time..."]

Annnnd we've figured out why Jude is so adamant in claiming his "not gay" despite his bj hobby. Fuuuuuuck. The longer this whole thing went one, the more heartbroken I was. I was yelling at Jude (and Alec) through the pages, but no one listened to me. This book was red sooooo slow because it was just emotions ready to explode. I knew mutual heartbreak was on its way (and that Jude's nibblings might be collateral damage), and me sobbing.  

But when it comes down to it, this book turned a lot of stereotypes around (not many of which I can share without giving a lot away), which made these two even more perfect. And like the stereotypes, I can’t gush about them too much without giving plot away, but they just worked, even after they broke each other’s hearts. 

I reeeaaalllllly want an Ollie HEA.

Trigger Warnings: self-doubt/hate, major internalized homophobia, homophobia, bullying, and more.

#aminutemore #onemoretime #timeless #timelessseries #corarose #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

A Minute More (Timeless #1)

There are too many new books, new-ish books, old-ish book, and older books to pick from (far too many). So I decided to cross off more backlog from my list (or slowly cross off an author from my to-binge list). Here's Cora Rose's "A Minute More." It's the first novel in her Timeless series.

["I'll admit I've never had grandiose plans for my future. I'm really more of a "take it as it comes" sort of dude. But making minimum wage at a small-town sandwich shop wasn't exactly what I had in mind after college graduation either. It may not be an exciting life, but it isn't so bad. At least I have my amazing coworkers and friends who always try to make the workday fun.

Everyone, that is, except the new guy, Simon.

That guy is not fun. He's broody and silent, but I can tell that something interesting is brewing just under his surface. Day after day I try to get his attention, try to coax him out of his shell. He won't even look at me, let alone talk. It's making me a little crazy, if I'm honest.

I don't even know why I care—I'm not gay. But there's just something about him that draws me in. He's become this mystery that I need to unravel.

Until one night I get a small peek behind Simon's mask—a shared kiss, just a minute in time, and then it's gone.

I don't even know what to think. All I know is I need more.

I want all the hidden parts of him.

I don't understand this obsession, this need.

And I'm afraid that there isn't much I wouldn't do for just a minute more."]

This reminded me a lot of Whit and Caleb. Broken, gay boy with impossible feelings and even more impossible "obligations". Dude-bro jock suddenly and completely whipped (and not so straight).

I loved the seamless transition (Wes's) from "I just want to be his friend" to "I just want to own him." It was glorious and crazy fast. But it worked for them. For the most part.

Also, love that we're putting mental health above a rushed romance..for them. For me, I almost hurt myself trying not to sob. Seriously though, I could have done without all of the Feelings and tears and waffling (sadly, not literal waffles)...but without all of the grief and the secrets and the waiting, they wouldn't have been them.

Trigger Warnings: drunk driving (not MCs), alcoholism (not MCs), death of a loved one, greif

#aminutemore #onemoretime #timeless #timelessseries #corarose #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks