Heat Lightning (Masked Mates #1)

Here's "Heat Lightning" by A Knightley. This is the first novel in the Masked Mates series.

["Max
Having a stalker should be thrilling in a ‘run for the hills screaming’ kind of way, not a ‘lights me up from the inside’ kind of way. Alas, here we are. To my great dismay, I want to climb that big, scary, masked man like a tree. But seriously, can I be blamed? Have you seen him
My life has always been black and white, good and bad, right and wrong—but my Masked Man revels in the gray. He kills bad guys. Which should terrify me, except it only adds to the magnetic pull that reels me in time and again. He’s my stalker, my rescuer, my alpha, and my soul's deepest, darkest desire. Even still, he insists on keeping secrets. And when I finally find out the truth?
They become life or death.
How much can I overlook for the man who makes my omega scream, mate, mate, mate?

The Masked Man
I’m a hunter—a killer. I live by a simple set of rules, and I don’t break them. Playing the hero? Not interested.
Until him.
From the very first moment, the omega calls to me. His cautious curiosity makes my alpha’s mouth water, aching to bite and claim. He’s mine. Mine to hunt, mine to protect, mine to watch.
But never mine to have.
So, I’ll do everything—and I mean everything—in my power to keep him safe, even if that means longing from the shadows forever."]

I've been waiting MONTHS for this! Soo many teasers and art and quotes on socials. I kept checking A's IG for an official release date and then for arc sign-ups. So. Worth. The. Wait. 

The time jump between Part 1 and Part 2...it was one of those moments where, logically and realistically, you understand. Like those horribly noble and sadly needed third act break-ups. It makes sense. But that doesn't make it less sad. And me being sad about that, when these two didn't even know each other well, or at all, in Part 1, says something about my dark romance habit. But it also says a lot about The Masked Man. 

Part 1 was all mystery and danger and hesitant inevitability. It teetered on the edge of want and mates and fate being a bit of a bitch. Part 2 was angst and want and danger. It was mutual desire and mutual destruction, destruction of sanity and fate continuing to push two people together but they push each other apart. Part 3 still had the angst but the inevitability was there and fate was there and love was there; so was the utter devastation. Part 4 started with nearly breaking me, just like Part 3 ended. Then came the danger and the threats and the guilt and the negotiating and the denial. All followed with some groveling, some much-needed cuddles, and a HEA. It was protective and possessive in equal parts by equal partners. 

It was a hot mess all around. But honestly? It was SO fucking good. Easily top ten (top five) of the year. 

I canNOT wait for the next one. 

Trigger Warnings: violence, murder, noncon drugging leading to attemped SA, forced/drug-induced heat, descriptions of domestic violence, witnessing domestic violence as a child, past child abuse, stalking, home invasion, past parental loss, and more.

#heatlightning #aknightley #maskedmates #maskedmatesseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

In Your Light (Tenebrea Cove #4)

Here's NR Walker's "In Your Light." It's the fourth novel in the Tenebrea Cove series.

["Hadeom had always revelled in the darkness. The belief that he was doing the righteous thing fed him, sustained him. But as time stretched on, the world around him changed.

Humans changed.

And somewhere in the thick of it all, Hadeom lost his way.

Fyn is the embodiment of sunshine and all things good in this world. His life in the faun camp he grew up in is simple and peaceful, but he yearns for more. He wants excitement. He wants love.

He wants the tall, dark, and handsome stranger who’s lodging at the hut.

As Hadeom heals and finds his true form again, he can no longer hide who he really is. His identity is revealed, and he knows Fyn deserves so much better than his darkness and shadows.

But as humans threaten life in Tenebrae Cove, Hadeom must first fight his past, and Fyn must fight for Hadeom. Because after everything Hadeom has done, it will be Fyn who brings him out of the darkness and into the light."]

Cern continues to be mysterious and cryptic. The little godlings continue to be adorable, beautiful menaces. Sawyer continues to be...well... "'Jesus Christ,' Ciaran mumbled from across the clearing. 'Sawyer, love of my life, my shining beacon of eternal love, you gotta stop pissing the gods off.'"

But, honestly, now knowing who and what Hadeom is, Fyn makes even more sense as his mate. Sunshine-y and connected to the earth, rainbows and butterflies and flowers. It matches the shadows and darkness and rain and...well... a lot of trauma. A match made long ago and retold here. 

Tenebrea Cove continues to be a hot mess of found family and legends becoming reality and Ciaran throwing himself off the pier. I kinda want more...

Trigger Warnings: past trauma, PTSD, past death of a loved on, humans being the real monsters, and more.

#underthesurface #intoodeep #outofthedark #inyourlight #tenebreacove #tenebreacoveseries #nrwalker #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Hallowed Moon

Here's "Hallowed Moon," a novella by Kelly Fox.

["Dear goddess,

For the love of all things dark and hairy, did you really have to mate me with a vampire?

My hormones are off the charts, my urges are driving me crazy, and my wolf wants to shift every other minute.

My found-pack of two mystery shifters, a grumpy fairy, a kind witch, and her ghost husband have all been trying to keep the supes of New Orleans safe.

You'd think that'd give me some sort of pass, but no. For the love... I'm buying expensive pillows and walking around saying things like MINE.

Not cool, goddess. Not. Cool.

Fix it, please.

Sincerely,

A disgruntled wolf shifter."]

Lazare's vernacular took a hot minute to adjust to, but I was here for it. Thought not here for craving beignets after they were mentioned every other chapter (thanks for that, Lazare). Also here for Lazare's French. ;) 

I'm a suuucker for fated mates but the one who figure's it out first is in total (stubbornly and kinda adorably) in denial. Which lasted half of twelve hours, if that. Much longer than Remy's protests. 

Things were all sweetness and spice until some shit hit the fan. But these two? These two were adorable as hell (and sassy). 

Trigger Warnings: toxic family, blackmail, slight torture, kidnapping, violence, death, mentions of human trafficking, and more. 

#hawllowedmoon #kellyfox #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

How to Catch a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls #6)

Here's Shannon Mae's latest book, "How to Catch a Hellhound," which is the sixth and final book in her series Hellhounds of Paradise Falls (which is a spin-off series from Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures).

["Paul
I’m not exactly sure how I became sheriff of Paradise Falls, but I take the protection of the people in my town seriously. That even includes Jude, who’s constantly pulling pranks in the hopes of getting arrested. I know he’s flirting with me, but how can someone as damaged as me be a match for his eternal good cheer? Never mind the fact that I may also be losing my mind—I’m getting crazy feelings about people, and the urge to act on them is getting stronger. My goal has always been to save people, not to harm them. Something is changing, though, and I’m not sure who I am anymore.

Jude
Being an assassin and a hellhound is all-around fun, and teasing my sexy sheriff makes my life complete. Lately, though, something’s been wrong with Paul. He’s been cranky and secretive, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it. Is something from Paul’s past haunting him? Because if someone needs killing, then I’ll be happy to do it. Although maybe it’s time to show the sheriff what he’s really capable of. He’s a kindred spirit—I can sense it—and I’m only too happy to show him how hellhounds take care of the bad guys."]

And the official tags (because they're the best): ["Sheriff Paul can sense things; Jude is, as always, ridiculous; there are numerous Beatle references, so get ready to have songs stuck in your head; Jude is the happiest assassin you’ll ever meet; these two have explosive chemistry; Paul might kill Jude (or at least shoot him); the entire pack is there for all the fun; Paul isn’t exactly what he appears; Oracles give the vaguest advice; trying to get arrested is Jude’s love language."]

I love how literally everyone is like "finally" to Jude about him and Patrick when they technically weren't even together-together yet. Just covering up a murder of a hell-bound soul. Semantics. 

And I loved how literally no one in the pack was shocked by Patrick's reaction to seeing hellhound-Jude for the first time. No one. Just Jude. Maybe Crow.

I loved how this series ended. It was mysterious and odd and left us with a few additional mysteries and unfinished plot points. 

Trigger Warnings: torture, death, maiming, traumatic backstories, paranoia, mentions of human and sex trafficking, and more. Does the Chosen One get a harem? Does Luce get his HEA?

#howtoflirtwithahellhound #howtohackahellhound #howtotameahellhound #howtotrustahellhound #hownottokillahellhound #howtocatchahellhound #hellhoundsinparadisefalls #hellhoundsinparadisefallsseries #shannonmae #demonicdisastersandafterlifeadventures #demonicdisastersandafterlifeadventuresseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

How Not to Kill a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls #5)

Here's Shannon Mae's latest book, "How Not to Kill a Hellhound," which is the fifth book in her series Hellhounds of Paradise Falls (which is a spin-off series from Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures).

["Sebbie
Life’s pretty good. I love my job, I feed the crows in my yard, and I have some awesome friends. Sure, I was kidnapped by a cult recently, but my friends rescued me, so no harm done. And, okay, people do tend to die around me, but I work in a hospital. That’s normal… right? Death isn’t scary anyway—it’s just another beginning. Unfortunately, most guys I date don’t see it that way. My love life has been pretty empty, but I just met someone new. He’s ridiculously cute and even likes crows. I just hope he’s not scared off when he learns about my job.

Corbin
I take great satisfaction in removing hellbound souls from the world—especially the ones who prey on the weak. With my pack and my familiar, Crow, at my side, life is steady and peaceful. At least, it was until Sebbie. The cute, bubbly man is far more than he realizes, and he’s about to turn everything upside down. There’s just one little he doesn’t know the supernatural exists… or that he’s a supernatural being. I want to help him harness his powers"]

And the official tags (because they're the best): ["Crows hold grudges; Death is actually cheerful; Corbin’s as obsessed with shiny things as his birds; The pack shows up to create chaos; Thea is determined to be Sebbie’s new bestie; Jude doesn’t get arrested (or maybe he does?); there’s torture and death (but only of really bad people); hellhounds have tails, and they know how to use them."]

Sebbie: "Yeah, that probably did my chances with Corbin. Kidnapping and death weren't really a good meet-cute story." Think again little Sebbie. 

A reaper and a hellhound walk into a cult... Honestly, these two were cosmically perfect for each other. Sebbie can ferry the people he cares about, good and kind souls, over to their loved ones, and Corbin can eat the evil souls that Sebbie reaps (on purpose or otherwise). Adorable and kinda career-goals. 

Sebbie was similar to Toby when he learned about the supernatural/paranormal, but also...the opposite. He accepted that magical and mystical things could, in theory, happen--just like, theoretically, angels and demons are real ( ;) ). And in his dreams, which weren't really dreams at all, anything goes. But connecting those two? Toby jumped right on that; it took Sebbie a little longer. 

Then there's Corbin. Always there, always conforming, always warm and safe.

Spoiler: I kneeew that man in the black suit was Luce. And yet, I still teared up. 

Trigger Warnings: torture, death, maiming (but only of really bad people), past trauma, violence, death of a loved on, cult references, repressed memories, feelings of dissociation, and more.

#howtoflirtwithahellhound #howtohackahellhound #howtotameahellhound #howtotrustahellhound #hownottokillahellhound #howtocatchahellhound #hellhoundsinparadisefalls #hellhoundsinparadisefallsseries #shannonmae #demonicdisastersandafterlifeadventures #demonicdisastersandafterlifeadventuresseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Palingenesis (Mayhem Manuscripts Season Two: Cryptids)

Here's Rae Stone's "Palingenesis." It's a novel in the multi-author series, Mayhem Manuscripts Season Two: Cryptids.

["New town. New place.

It’s small but it’s exactly what I was looking for when I scoured the map for inspiration.

Coming to Bearcreek felt like a taste of the freedom I’ve been so desperately waiting for.

A town painted in celebration with a local legend is just a bonus.

A fresh start that was supposed to rejuvenate me.

But it’s the past I brought along that might destroy me.

If I don’t go up in flames first."]

My very first thoughts about Henry: I hope someone tortures and murders him. Fuck Henry. 

Then things got a little confusing (not about Henry--fuck Henry). Nightmares and dreams mixed with reality. Nonlinear timelines. Missing weeks/months. I was soo lost. Then again, so was Shannon. 

I really liked the first epilogue, how fate can bring them back together after a death, how their story was shared and popularized. 

And honestly, I totally get why the author's favorite line of this piece was "Hello, beloved." 

Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, verbal abuse, isolation, noncon/dubcon, mentions of fire/wildfire, gaslighting, manipulation, forced amnesia, pain and trauma surrounding hearing loss/hearing devices, isolation, and more.

#palingenesis #raestone #pareidolia #mortis #tenebrous #hollow #feral #tenebrous #golden #hush #leech #noctis #solivagant #solais #marked #mayhemmanuscripts #mayhemmanuscriptsseasontwo #mayhemmanuscriptscryptids #mayhemmanuscriptsseasontwocryptids #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Goodbye, September

September was a mess of trying to figure life out and trying to be good but feeling like shit, fighting to get out from under the tide, pros and cons lists, negotiating with myself, and some upcoming positives. 

2026 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: 51 (a lot of novellas) (though, I might squeeze one more in before midnight).

    (b) Monthly Reading Challenge(s): Shape = Virgo. Got some A-Z stuff recorded. Some ARCs. Got a lot of Beat The Backlog done.

(2) September Memories: A few fun meals and an adventure to the local converatory with my grandmother. One job interview that I didn't feel great out (and didn't get an offer for). Another doctor's appointment. My sister's (and my best friend's) birthday. Some purposefully lazy days, some get-the-shit-done days. 

(3) Posts this month (including this one): 45.

(4) I realized this month that I was a little traumatized by my old job (fun), so working through that. Working through purposefully lazy days, telling myself that I needed the break and needed a brain break and needed the space to heal. Some days, mostly nights (and afternoons, oddly enough) were a little dark blue. The temperatures dropped, which didn't help. But now that the leaves are changing colors, it feels a little more purposeful and the universe nodding at a change (I do love fall). Here's to new changes and old friends. 

Anyone still holding onto their resolutions?

Any exciting October reads? Any existing 2026 reads?
Anything I should check out?

#newyearsresolutions #goodbyeseptember #hellooctober #hello2026 #dontstopreading #makememories #shareloveofbooks #shareloveofreading #bekindertomyself #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks