AJ's bookshelf: all en-US Sun, 27 Apr 2025 15:15:28 -0700 60 AJ's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Road Rules (Rules of the Game, #1)]]> 76783289 Rule #1: Hockey Comes First

As NHL team captain, Zane Murphy’s goal for the upcoming season is simple: take the Evanston River Otters all the way to the Stanley Cup.

Rule #2: Only On the Road

But an unexpectedly hot night with his best friend and teammate Ryan Hartinger throws Zane’s carefully laid plans and his sexuality into disarray.

Rule #3: Don’t Fall in Love with Your Best Friend

When feelings begin to creep in, Zane will have to decide if he’s willing to throw out the rules and risk his career and his friendship for a chance at winning it all.

Note: Road Rules was previously published as a 45k novella on Prolific Works and has since been expanded into a full length novel.]]> 407 Brigham Vaughn AJ 0 currently-reading 4.02 2023 Road Rules (Rules of the Game, #1)
author: Brigham Vaughn
name: AJ
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Dean (Unexpected, #9) 223903292 And caring for myself from a young age has come with a lot of hardships, but finding myself bruised, homeless, and sleeping in my car just about tops the list.
Fortunately, the person I least expect offers to take me in and share his home with me.
My boss, Dean, may be twenty years older and have a son my age, but he’s still the sexiest man I’ve ever met. (Mechanics, amiright?) He’s also incredibly sweet and thoughtful and apparently quite protective of me. He may even be a bit possessive�
But best of all, he genuinely seems to like and accept me just as I am.
The only problem is, Dean is straight. And living with my very hot, very straight boss just might be the thing that kills me.]]> 274 Cora Rose AJ 0 currently-reading 4.18 2025 Dean (Unexpected, #9)
author: Cora Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Barkeep and the Bro (Single Dads Club, #3)]]> 60241951
For twenty-five years, I’ve been in an exclusive, all-consuming relationship with Stone’s Throw Tavern, my family’s local bar.

I don’t need a boyfriend. What I need is a new bartender.

And what I get is Charlie, my daughter’s old college boyfriend, a guy who still acts like he’s chillin� at the frat house. He was canned from his Wall Street job and escaped to small town Sourwood for a fresh start.

He knows bupkis about bartending, but he makes up for it with his cocky charm…and the tight shirts he wears, which secretly drive me wild. Now I’m making up excuses to hang by the bar during his shifts.

There’s a pile of reasons why I can’t cross the line with an employee. Especially this one. He’s twenty years younger than me, and I’m a foot taller than him. Even on a purely mathematical level, this can’t work.

And yet�

The growing heat between the fratboy and me burns like a shot of whiskey. I just need to keep my beer can in my pants, or else I could lose my business and my daughter.


The Barkeep and the Bro will serve you up a glass of age gap, size difference, boss/employee, grumpy/sunshine, small town romance goodness, garnished with humor and lots of heat. And it won’t even ask for ID. This is the third book in the Single Dads Club series, but can be read as a standalone.]]> 293 A.J. Truman AJ 0 4.06 2022 The Barkeep and the Bro (Single Dads Club, #3)
author: A.J. Truman
name: AJ
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves:
review:

]]> For the Fans 62990658 Kyran Harbor is everything I’m not.

Rich. Popular. A superstar football player who’s awfully broody for someone who has it all. Basically, he’s a preppy jock who hates me. Oh, and he’s also my stepbrother.

That’s right. We’re stuck together, sharing a school, a house� A bathroom. Honestly, I wouldn’t care� If he wasn’t such an uptight control-freak who messes with me just because we’re different.

I had every intention of avoiding him when we got to college� Until abrupt misfortune forces us both into a compromising position.

Now the grouchy jerk I was hoping to evade might be the only person who can help me out of it.

Avi Vega is everything I despise.

A dreamer. A flake. An artist who smokes too much weed and thinks aliens exist. And by some sick cosmic joke, he’s now my stepbrother, following me on what should’ve been my escape plan.

It was already a disaster. Add a sudden financial disruption to the mix, and let’s just say my options are heavily limited.

If I want to stay an all-star quarterback on the way to the NFL, I’ll need to do something drastic. Unfortunately for me, and my desperate desire for control, the perpetually smiling stoner has a plan.

Maybe we can stop hating each other just enough to pull this off. As long as we remember we’re only doing it� for the fans.

** For The Fans is a full-length standalone MM forbidden romance with an HEA. This book contains sensitive subject matter that could make some readers uncomfortable. Please heed foreword warnings and proceed with caution.]]> 546 Nyla K. AJ 5 4.34 2023 For the Fans
author: Nyla K.
name: AJ
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/17
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves:
review:
So good! I loved the build up for this one. And I’m a sucker for the whole calling eachother baby thing. I was a bit iffy with the stepbrother aspect but because they didn’t grow up together and weren’t close as a family unit, I was able to look past it. I loved the reluctance at the start slowly dissipating through the book and the walls coming down slowly. Long but worth it!
]]> Always Him (Inevitable, #2) 64354674 Sometimes things happen that test our resilience and our strength.
My life was changed forever one fateful night last year when I lost my leg in an accident. It’s affected my independence and my confidence.
But there is one thing—one person—that hasn’t changed, hasn’t wavered when life gets hard.
Finn Ledger. He’s been my best friend since the moment we met in middle school. We’re grown now, with separate lives, but he still always manages to be there for me when I need him, even when circumstances try to wrench us apart.
He always holds me when I need it, cares for me like no one else can. His affection for me feels like home, like safety�
But recently those innocent touches have been igniting something new inside of me. Something I can’t explain, something lustful and intense.
Something that could change everything�

Always Him is a steamy M/M friends-to-lovers college romance with heart, soul, lots of laughs, and of course, cuddling.]]> 270 Cora Rose AJ 5 favs 4.15 Always Him (Inevitable, #2)
author: Cora Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/13
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves: favs
review:

]]> Whit (Unexpected, #1) 60870308 Straight guys don’t have crushes on other dudes, right?

Except my roommate, Whit, is intriguing, and I find myself watching him constantly. He’s a mystery I can’t figure out. And these feelings I’m having about him are confusing.
Then, one night, I find myself wrapped around him, and after that, I can't get enough.
But Whit has secrets. He doesn’t let people in, and the more I fall for him, the less I know.
I can't let him go, though.
Until I realize I’m going to be the one broken at the end of our story.

This is a sexual-awakening MM romance book with sexually explicit material suitable only for adults. It's generally a sweet romance, but some content is not suitable for some readers. Trigger warnings include mentions of abuse, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and the death of a loved one. Please take this into account before reading.]]> 308 Cora Rose AJ 5 favs 4.09 2022 Whit (Unexpected, #1)
author: Cora Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves: favs
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blurred Lines (Darby U Hockey Boys, #2)]]> 122753206 The problem?
He thinks I’m straight.
And now that I share a dorm with him, his insistent need to cuddle -and lack of clothes- are blurring the careful lines I’ve drawn.
I'm struggling to keep my defenses up.
I love him but I’m afraid.
Afraid I’m not enough to make him stay.
Afraid he’ll rip my heart out.
Afraid he won’t love me back.
But I see a side of him no one else does.
In the security of our room, he lets his mask fall.
Lets me hold him.
Something lurks in the dark recesses of his mind that keeps him from going all in.
He’s just as hesitant about this as I am, but I don’t understand why.

Can I convince him to let me love him the way he deserves�
or will he take my heart and run away with it?]]> 376 Andi Jaxon AJ 0 dnf 3.86 2023 Blurred Lines (Darby U Hockey Boys, #2)
author: Andi Jaxon
name: AJ
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Left on Read (Crimson Club #4)]]> 201866642
Not only is my stolen-tool problem solved, but it turns out he’s a great guy, and we quickly become friends. But the more time we spend together, the more I notice something between us.

Something that doesn’t just feel like friendship.

Something that makes me want more. Makes me want him.

Watching Hayden lose control is everything. So is knowing he can’t stay away from me, either.]]> 332 Willow Dixon AJ 0 4.02 Left on Read (Crimson Club #4)
author: Willow Dixon
name: AJ
average rating: 4.02
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Switched-Up Playbook (Bats and Badgers, #1)]]> 227801530 NICKO

As a Top Ten draft pick, I‘d been on my way to hockey stardom—until one bad hit on the ice threatened it all. Now I have one year of college left to prove to everyone that I’ve made a full recovery from my injury and am still worth a shot in the NHL.

So my plan for senior year is keep my head down, work hard, win the Frozen Four.

But it all goes right out the window when my twin brother Nate finds himself in a precarious situation, and I’m the only one who can help him.

The only problem? It includes living with his best friend—and my worst enemy. Xander Hart has a way of getting under my skin, and our encounters usually end in disaster.

XANDER

Study hard, make my parents proud, win the Frozen Four—that’s my to-do list for senior year. One thing I did not have on there: losing my best friend.

Nate and I have been inseparable since our first day of college, so I really thought I knew him. But then his behavior changes from one day to the next, and not in a good way. He’s avoiding me, and every time I confront him, we end up fighting. On the ice, however, we are unstoppable.

Suddenly, I’m torn between wanting to punch him—and wanting to kiss him.

Ugh, this year is going to be intense.


The Switched-Up Playbook is the first in a five book standalone mm college romance series, each of them featuring different athletes. Book 1 is filled with heated fights on and off the ice between two rivals, witty banter, spicy scenes, twin shenanigans, and wholesome friendships. This series is not suitable for readers under the age of 18 years.]]> 411 A. J. Kyler AJ 3 4.03 2025 The Switched-Up Playbook (Bats and Badgers, #1)
author: A. J. Kyler
name: AJ
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Roommate Situation (Colorado Springs University #1)]]> 218440882
Coming home to find my boyfriend in bed with another guy is not how I expected my birthday to go.

When my two best friends find out, they help me with moving my things out of the apartment and trying to find a new roommate. In the meantime they take me out to get my mind off Zach and get laid. I’m really not sure I’m up for it, but I let them drag me out anyway.

I’m not exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to the dating pool, and all of the messages I’ve been getting from Zach since I broke it off with him are only solidifying that in my mind.

To my surprise though, not only does a guy notice me, he’s got to be the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. But when I finally gather my courage and try to spice things up with him, it goes horribly wrong and I run away mortified and in tears. My only saving grace is that I’ll probably never see him again.

But then I see a response to my ad looking for a roommate, and when I show up to meet the guy the following day and take a look at the apartment, who should answer the door but Hottie McHotness himself.

Just shoot me now.

Parker

When I spotted the adorable little twink in the bow tie and suspenders at the club I was instantly attracted to him. All that wavy brown hair and the cute as hell glasses. But when he runs away in tears, I’m terrified I’ve done something to upset him, and I don’t know how to make it right.

When he shows up at my doorstep the following day and I realize he’s my potential new roommie I can’t believe my luck. He seems nervous and shy, but so sweet.

The more time we’re together, the more I realize what a number his turd of an ex did on him, and I’m determined to make sure he knows how amazing he really is, and that he deserves someone who will appreciate and care for him.

As the weeks go on I’m hoping more and more that that someone can be me.

The Roommate Situation is a 60k word college mm romance with a golden retriever himbo and an adorable twink. It features neurodivergent representation (one mc has noise sensitivity), size difference, forced proximity, panties and lingerie, and supportive friends and family. It is intended for readers 18 and older.

Emotional abuse and cheating by a previous partner (not between mcs), one mc has needle phobia and there is some brief on page anxiety]]> 196 Felicity Snow AJ 2 3.86 2024 The Roommate Situation (Colorado Springs University #1)
author: Felicity Snow
name: AJ
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Composed at Randy's (Diner Days)]]> 209275146
Love beyond the binary, serving up low angst trans romances at Randy's Diner.

Composed at Randy’s is a 'dumbasses in love', cis male/trans male pairing with a smooth-brained (not remotely smart) genius, a goth himbo, and all the help they can get to achieve their happily ever after.]]> 194 Zile Elliven AJ 0 4.41 Composed at Randy's (Diner Days)
author: Zile Elliven
name: AJ
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves:
review:
dnf not my kind of dynamic, li was too over the top dumb
]]> <![CDATA[Possessive Puckboy (Puckboys, #8)]]> 218093188 Connor

Finding out those closest to me don’t see me as the great guy I think I am not only kicks me in the gut, it makes me question everything.

Until that happened, I didn’t think I had many regrets in my life. Now, I have nothing but regrets. And when my NHL team is bought out, and the new owner makes his presence known, my existential crisis kicks up a notch. Because he might be my biggest regret of all.

Parker Duchene.

I made his life a living hell in high school, and now he’s inserting himself into my career to repay the favor.

With everything in my personal life already on the line, I can’t risk hockey too. I need to figure out a way to play nice with the new owner.

Parker

I bought Colorado’s NHL team to honor my late father. I did. Only reason.
Emotionally playing with one of my many high school tormentors is a nice bonus though.

Connor Kikishkin may be the one who made me the target for years of name-calling, but I’ve always wondered if my hatred for him bordered too much on the obsessive side to truly be classified as hate.

Infatuation is probably the right word for it.

Now his whole life is in my hands, and I can’t wait to see him beg for my mercy. Seeing Mr. Popular find his humility will definitely ease the grief from losing my dad � right? Because right now, that’s all I have, and I need to hold on to it so I don’t crumble.]]> 308 Eden Finley AJ 3 4.09 2025 Possessive Puckboy (Puckboys, #8)
author: Eden Finley
name: AJ
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Step Dare (Peach State Stepbros #3)]]> 214333124 TAYLOR

I'm the quiet one.
At a party, I'll be sipping from my Solo cup, hanging by my much chattier best friend Brenner.
Easygoing, all smiles, and hot as hell, Brenner always has his pick of guy or girl by the end of the night.
I do fine, but I don't trust easily, so he's one of the few people who really knows me.
We do everything together—studying, playing video games, and occasionally, ridiculous dares.
Like this latest dare.
I've always considered myself straight, but recently, I've been curious.
And what better way to explore this uncharted territory than with my bi bestie, who, given his long list of satisfied hookups, I know will do the job right.
I expected it to be good.
I wasn't prepared for how it would leave me hungry for so much more, needing Bren to show me what I've been missing out on.
What is it they say? It's always the quiet ones...

BRENNER

What's that saying...never met a stranger?
That's me. I'll talk to anyone, anytime.
It's how Taylor and I became friends, and I'm thankful for that every day.
He's my chill, zero-effs-given, video-game-loving bestie.
Whom I'm now hooking up with.
It's just fun, but then our parents drop the bomb on us that they've been secretly dating.
Oh, and they're in love and getting married in just a few months' time.
As hot as the idea of him being my stepbro is, we agree we should stop our little...extracurriculars...because what if it comes between our parents?
But keeping our hands to ourselves proves easier said than done.
I've become addicted to Taylor, and he to me.
What our parents don't know won't hurt them, right? And it's not like this means anything.
Only...the more we mess around, the more I realize it does.
What started out as just a good time has become so much more, but with everything that's at stake, do we stop now, or do we dare take a chance on what's happening between us?

Content Warning: The Step Dare is a steamy, low-angst romance, but it contains content that some readers may find triggering, including discussions about grieving the loss of a parent and the loss of an infant.

*The Step Dare can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.]]> 346 Riley Hart AJ 3 3.88 2025 The Step Dare (Peach State Stepbros #3)
author: Riley Hart
name: AJ
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Stupid Dirty (Possum Hollow, #1)]]> 205167500 CADE

I always thought of Silas Rush as my biggest rival on the track and a stuck-up loner off it. But he and his fancy pro career left our crappy hometown in the dust before high school even finished, and then I didn’t think of him much at all.

I was too busy trying to keep my little sisters from turning into addicts like our mom, and myself from turning into a rage-junkie like our dad. All while keeping food on the table.

Now he’s back, reminding me of all the things I don’t have, just like he always did.

Except now we’re both adults. And when I� y’know� talk to the guy for once, it looks like my teenage self might have been too distracted to see all the things that Silas didn’t have as well.

After catching him at his lowest possible moment, my heart goes out to the guy I used to hate. All my anger turns to guilt, and instead of a rival, I somehow end up with a socially-awkward new best friend that’s just as screwed-up as I am.

Which I can handle. I can admit when I’m wrong. As long as things between us don’t get any more complicated or confusing, I can handle it.

SILAS

I have a very camera-ready smile. Dad always told me if I wanted to make my pro motocross career stick, I needed to get over all the awkwardness and anxiety that ruined high school for me and learn to act like a real boy for the public.

Never mind that I didn’t want to be a pro rider, or smile for the camera, or live life with Dad on the road and never know what it’s like to have a real friend or - gasp - relationship. Years and years of motocross training, publicity training, and all-the-rest-of-it training; I still don’t have a life and one stupid mistake has left my precious career in the toilet.

The last person I expect to pull me out of this hole is Cade Waters. I’m pretty sure everyone hated me in high school, but Cade was front and center. Which sucked, because with everyone else, he was sunshine personified. I was always the only person who sparked that anger in him, and I never even knew how I did it.

So, when Cade not only swoops in to help me in my darkest moment, but decides to abandon our childhood rivalry and adopt me as his newest bestie/pity project, I’m not sure how to take it.

What I do know is that after a lifetime of having nothing I really wanted, all it takes is one glimpse of Cade’s life to get me hooked. He’s a mess, sure, just like I am. But all that sunshine� I want to grab onto it with both hands and never let go. No matter how confusing that feeling may be.

Stupid Dirty is a high-heat, high-angst M/M romance about dirt bikes, childhood trauma and figuring out how to love someone the best way you can. It contains explicit sexual content as well as potentially triggering themes regarding mental health, and is not suitable for readers under 18. Please see the content warning at the beginning of the book (included in the sample) for more details.
]]> 335 Erin Russell AJ 5 4.08 Stupid Dirty (Possum Hollow, #1)
author: Erin Russell
name: AJ
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Red Haze (Caffeine Daydreams #3)]]> 198845932 It’s just asking for trouble.

Arlo

Our rise to stardom might’ve helped me escape from the chaos that was my childhood, but that didn’t mean it was easy for me. Now, with fame and an almost unlimited bank account, you’d think I’d be happy. But I’m not. There’s no escaping the depression that dogs me or my past that refuses to leave me alone, no matter what I try. There’s no-one to stop the self-destructive spiral I’m caught in.

No-one, that is, until Jack.

As soon as the stoic man who looks like he could crush me under his thumb is assigned to me, I know I’m in trouble. Not only is he every one of my wet dreams brought to life, but he’s straight. Oh, and tasked with keeping me out of mischief.

What I wasn’t expecting was the friendship that followed. The way we would come to depend on one another.

When it’s all ripped away, can I find a way to exist without Jack at my side? Or am I destined to love someone I can never have?

Jack

After leaving the SAS, going into personal security seemed like the next logical step. Having been briefed on my client, the drummer for the rock band Caffeine Daydreams, I believed I’d be guarding some spoiled kid with more money than sense.

But as I get to know Arlo, I realise nothing could be further from the truth.

With the line between professional and personal blurring, Arlo quickly becomes the most important person in my life. When I have to decide between keeping him in my life or protecting him, I choose the latter.

I will always protect Arlo.

What I didn’t know was that the price I’d pay would cut me far deeper than I’d thought possible. Can I persuade Arlo to give me another chance? Or will I have to resign myself to just seeing him on my screen?

Red Haze is a demi-awakening, bodyguard x rockstar MM romance. The final book in the Caffeine Daydreams series, each book follows a different couple as they find their HEA. Although better read in order, these books can standalone.]]> 304 Lark Taylor 1739404653 AJ 5 4.09 Red Haze (Caffeine Daydreams #3)
author: Lark Taylor
name: AJ
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Green Light (Caffeine Daydreams, #2)]]> 177153310
Kai

I should be happy.

My childhood best friend and I are living our wildest dream—making music and touring the world as famous rock stars. I’ve got everything I could wish for.

Except him.

I’ll never have Silas. Not the way I want.

Our onstage behaviour gives fans a lot to speculate over, but it’s only an act.

The truth is, I die inside every time we touch. It might be pretend for Silas, but for me, it’s a constant reminder that I can’t have him the way I truly desire.

Then, a moment onstage leads me to a breaking point, and I can’t bear the heartache any longer.

I need to find a way to only see Silas as a friend before I lose our friendship, and him, forever.

Silas

My life is split into two chapters.

Before Kai and After Kai.

My childhood was a nightmare. A darkness I carried alone. But everything became brighter when I met Kai. He took me into his life, his family, his home.

Kai is more than my best friend. He’s my everything.

Some people think our relationship is odd…that it’s unusual for two friends to be as close as we are.

But everything about us makes sense.

At least, that’s what I believed.

When an onstage moment shines a light on the cracks in our foundation, my eyes are opened to a truth that’s been right in front of me the entire time.

A truth I want to explore.

But it’s too late. Just when I’m ready for more, Kai’s moving on.

One thing’s for sure; I’m not giving up.

No matter the risks.

Green Light is a bi-awakening, best friends-to-lovers MM rockstar romance. The second in the Caffeine Daydreams series, each book will follow a different couple as they find their HEA. Although better read in order, these books can stand alone.]]> 282 Lark Taylor 1739404629 AJ 5 4.15 Green Light (Caffeine Daydreams, #2)
author: Lark Taylor
name: AJ
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Dirty Love 59903835
Being gay would be dirty.

Touching the guy who’s been your stepbrother since you were three would be dirty.

Falling in love with him would be even worse.

I protect him because it’s my job.

I resist him because I have to.

But when one night leads to two and two nights lead to more, lines are blurred and morals are tossed and my sanity takes a walk.

Now we’re risking everything we have for something we know we shouldn’t want.

And the only thing we’ll have left is each other.]]> 223 Bethany Winters AJ 2 3.92 Dirty Love
author: Bethany Winters
name: AJ
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[In Plain Sight (Legacy Mechanics, #3)]]> 219835797 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?

Zander and Luka’s story is a coworkers to friends to lovers romance featuring two mechanics who have no idea they’ve been sexting with each other on a kink app. You can expect anonymous texting, D/s vibes, found family, hurt/comfort, fantasy exploration, lots of dirty talk, tons of steam, all the heat, and so many feels as these coworkers realize that what you see isn't always what you get. It is book 3 in my exciting new Legacy Mechanics series but can be read as a standalone.]]> 345 Willow Dixon AJ 3 4.07 In Plain Sight (Legacy Mechanics, #3)
author: Willow Dixon
name: AJ
average rating: 4.07
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love]]> 219421307 Wingman 101: Make him fall head over heels in love.

Brad
What’s a straight guy to do when he accidentally goes on a date with his brand new gym-bro? Offer to be the best wingman ever, of course! It’s foolproof.

Joey needs a man? I’ll find him one.

He wants someone who looks, well, kind of like me? No problem!

Not into watersports? I’ve got him covered.

The issue is, going on all these dates with Joey makes me realize I want more of his time to be spent with me. I like the guy. And his smile. And the way he makes me feel like anything is possible.

Except� I can’t possibly be who Joey needs. He wants his forever person. His great big love.

And no matter how perfect the dude’s abs are or how skilled he is as a cuddle-bro, the two of us will never be more than friends. Because I’m straight.

Right?

10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love is a lighthearted romantic comedy with disastrous dates, more innuendo than is probably healthy, an oblivious sweetheart, the gym-dude who falls for him swiftly, and a HEA loaded with firsts. It has characters who originally appeared in Himbo (Elite 8 Studios Book 4) but is set as a standalone.]]> 327 Emmy Sanders AJ 5 4.26 2025 10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love
author: Emmy Sanders
name: AJ
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:

]]> Dix (Elite 8 Studios, #1) 61295259 Do you believe in hate at first sight?

Dixon
If I had to choose one word to describe my new cocky costar, it’d be exasperating. Nikolas Adamos may look like a Greek god—and he certainly struts around like he knows it—but unlike everyone else, I refuse to fall prey to his charms.

Unfortunately for me, Niko and I get paired to do a series of lovey-dovey boyfriend videos for our employers at Elite 8 Studios. And when you film the sort of scenes we do, up close and personal takes on a whole new meaning.

I may have to play nice while the cameras are rolling, but off set, it’s another matter entirely. So what if our chemistry is off the charts? That doesn’t mean a thing. Nor does the tender look in Niko’s eye when we’re together under the lights.

Because I know the truth. Nikolas Adamos revels in riling me up. And even though my pesky friends think I need fireworks after a string of fizzled relationships, I have no doubt if I allow myself to get any closer to my new fake boyfriend, I’ll only end up burned.

Dix is a grumpy/sunshine, one-sided enemies-to-lovers romance with hate at first sight, forced proximity for two costars who work between the sheets, banter and snark galore, plenty of industrial-sized lube, and one very HEA. It’s book 1 in the Elite 8 Studios series, featuring characters that were introduced in Virgin Hearts (Plum Valley Cowboys Book 2), but can be read as a standalone.]]> 285 Emmy Sanders AJ 0 to-read 4.01 2022 Dix (Elite 8 Studios, #1)
author: Emmy Sanders
name: AJ
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Never Will I Ever 223440680 He's the one I swore I'd never ever fall for.


A teammate’s betrayal. A banishment. A secret revealed.

That’s all it took to unravel my life at the seams.

The punishment for my past mistakes goes further than expulsion,

and penance can only come from the worst hell

Summer camp.

Ten weeks spent wrangling a bunch of kids is bad enough,

only to get worse when I meet my new co-counselor.

The back-stabber himself.

Kaleb LaMothe.

Being forced to coexist adds more tension to our already shaky foundation,

but it also pushes us to uncover deeper parts of each other.

Until animosity becomes a feeling far more dangerous.

An attraction so potent, I lose sight of why I’m stuck in the wilderness to begin with.

And if I’m not careful, I might lose something else entirely.

Like my heart.


*𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘻𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤7]]> 361 C.E. Ricci AJ 4 4.16 2025 Never Will I Ever
author: C.E. Ricci
name: AJ
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
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]]> <![CDATA[Breakneck Hockey (Heartbreak Hockey #3)]]> 210441779
My hook-up for the night wasn’t supposed to be my long-time hockey rival, but here he is. I’m too worked up to let him go home without having a taste. One little bite of that smart mouth is mine for the taking after how many times he’s broken my nose.

How was I supposed to know that I’d crave Alderchuck with the desperation of a starved man?

I’m always one bad day from an explosion, but since I hooked up with Alderchuck, my body’s constantly on fire. I’m thinking about things I haven’t in a long time. He’s dredged years of buried torment to the surface.

The cure? Alderchuck. My poison is my cure. How poetic.

At least he can’t keep his hands off me and our burning hatred is mutual. The flavor’s gotta wear off at some point, and that’s when we’ll go our separate ways. Until then, I’ll come up with every way imaginable to wreck him from the inside out. Use him up till there’s nothing left.

But I’m nothing if not territorial and protective. My instincts decide that Casey Alderchuck is mine and they pull him closer. My damn heart’s a traitor, too, trying to break the locks I put around it to let him inside. But I can’t let it win. Loving people like I would love Casey means risking the fragile sanity I’ve worked so hard to preserve.


Breakneck Hockey is a rivals-to-lovers story with some hurt-comfort, along with other vibes, like; I Can Hurt Him but You Can’t, Major Jealousy, Just Because I Say I Don’t Want Him, Doesn’t Mean You Can Have Him, Possessiveness Galore, a Morally Gray MC and, as always in this series, Found Family.]]> 466 S. Legend AJ 5 4.14 2024 Breakneck Hockey (Heartbreak Hockey #3)
author: S. Legend
name: AJ
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hooks In (No Holds Barred, #1)]]> 203894374 Hatred often walks in disguise.

Rival MMA fighters Ty Roscoe and Luca Mitchell have been battling for the top spot in the rankings for years. Evenly matched in skill and constantly stripping each other of number one, the rivalry continues to grow and extend outside the cage. Knowing just how to push each other’s buttons, a deep hatred shadows their shared goal of becoming the best fighters they can be. And when an opportunity comes knocking to train at an elite MMA gym, they each think they’ll leave the other behind once and for all.

But when they end up at the same gym, under the same coach, the tension only rises. For the first time ever, they’re not fighting against each other. As they are forced to work as teammates, the battle for dominance is only amplified. They each have something the other needs, and the more time they spend training on the mats and in the boxing ring, they now realize they aren’t fighting each other� they’re fighting something else.

Their dynamic morphs, the tension evolves, and the hate drops its mask. They know everything there is to fight each other. But now, they have so much more to learn.

Submission was never in the cards.
But outside the cage, will the gloves finally drop?

Hooks In is book 1 in the No Holds Barred duet and ends on a HFN. Book 2 will be a continuation of Ty and Luca’s story.]]> 352 Eve Holmes AJ 0 to-read 4.13 2024 Hooks In (No Holds Barred, #1)
author: Eve Holmes
name: AJ
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Never Let Me Go (Inevitably You, #2)]]> 221732742 Gavin

Beck Bowman was once my best friend in the entire world. No one compared to the kind and gentle boy who stole my heart when we were kids. But that was a lifetime ago, before our friendship was torn to pieces and I became a spiteful, rotten shell of a person. Now he can’t stand the sight of me, and all I want to do is avoid the contempt in his eyes—except that’s impossible when we go to the same college and wrestle on the same team.

But he can’t hate me more than I hate myself.

Hate my own cowardice and vicious anger.

Hate that I’m so afraid of my dad I’m willing to destroy myself.

There isn’t much left of me anymore, and the parts of me that Beck once loved are buried so deep I’m sure they’re lost forever.

After I make the worst mistake of my life in my senior year, I’m ready to give up. I’ve destroyed everything, everyone despises me, and I’m drowning in regrets. For two years, I’m intent on forgetting I even exist—until Beck finds me one night and tries to save me. He’s still the perfect golden boy he’s always been, the do-good hero that needs to fix everything around him. He’s convinced he can help me, and no matter how hard I fight him, he refuses to give up on me. I hope he never does, but Beck is everything I don’t deserve and can’t allow myself to have.

How could anyone ever love a monster like me?

Never Let Me Go is a medium-high angst MM romance with dual first-person POV about two big wrestlers with a broken past. It contains a lot of roughhousing, a royal term of endearment, tons of hurt/comfort, a long journey of redemption and healing, some offensive comparisons to large mammals, and a hard-fought HEA. It’s the second book in the Inevitably You series, but can be read as a standalone. Only intended for mature readers ages 18 and up.

*Please This book contains spoilers for the first book in the Inevitably You series, Someone Like You.]]> 494 Lyla Dane AJ 5 4.35 Never Let Me Go (Inevitably You, #2)
author: Lyla Dane
name: AJ
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[The Daddy Arrangement (Situationship #3)]]> 198809088
Living with him is a nightmare. He’s super pedantic about everything. He took one look at me and decided I need help with adulting, and he seems absolutely positive he’s the man for the job. He’s hellbent on improving me, scolding me about this and correcting me on that.

Obviously I don’t take it lying down, I give as good as I get.

Things come to a head one night and I find myself staring down the barrel of a thick, angry index finger pointed close to my face.

“You’re playing with fire, Boy, and you’re headed for leather.�

Every schema I’ve ever used to make sense of the world implodes.

I’m furious. I hate it. Fully hate it. Hate every single thing about it.

Except that I don’t - and that makes it worse. Way worse. Some stupid part of me loves it. Some even stupider part craves it.

Lucky for me, Stuart knows a Daddy’s boy when he sees one. He offers to discipline and take care of me, to do the hard parts of adulting for me until I get back on my feet. Obviously, it isn’t a relationship. He’s literally old enough to be my father. So no, it’s not a relationship. Get your mind out of the gutter. It’s an arrangement…A Daddy Arrangement.

And that’s all it will ever be.

Right?]]> 397 Jesse H. Reign AJ 3 3.96 The Daddy Arrangement (Situationship #3)
author: Jesse H. Reign
name: AJ
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Melting the Ice (Portland Evergreens #1)]]> 215538460
Recovering from a knee injury he hopes won’t keep him off the ice. His team, the Portland University Evergreens, have a brand new coach, and he’s hoping to impress the legendary leader. Plus, he's got to make a decision once and for all about playing professional hockey or using his love of science to go a totally different direction.

The last thing he needs is a sexual awakening at the large, calloused hands of his football player roommate.

Dean is big and brawny and taciturn, but he doesn’t need words to woo Brody. He wants Dean, even if he thought he was straight. And Dean? Doesn’t matter that he’s never hooked up with a guy before, either.

They’re discovering new pleasures every night, while pretending during the day that they’re just roommates.

Except the heat burns so hot between them, it doesn’t just melt all the ice on Brody’s rink, it melts all his beliefs about who he is and what he wants.

But even more, it destroys the lie that he can’t fall hard for a guy. Because Brody is falling hard for Dean, and he discovers he’s not alone.]]> 391 Beth Bolden AJ 0 to-read 3.98 2024 Melting the Ice (Portland Evergreens #1)
author: Beth Bolden
name: AJ
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Cold as Ice (Portland Evergreens #2)]]> 215538443
He’s made it to the first line on his hockey team, the Portland Evergreens. He’s made the Dean’s List the last four semesters. He’s right in line to graduate on time, and head to the pros. All steps on the ultimate goal of becoming the best front office guy in the NHL.

Elliott is the only fly in his ointment.

The younger, wilder forward parties every night, sleeping with everything with a pulse, and barely attending classes or practices.

It’s annoying, but Mal’s dealing with it, until their new coach insists Mal tutor Elliott to help him pass a class.

And until Elliott discovers Mal’s biggest secret: he’s been too busy checking off points on his life plan to get laid.

They’re fire and ice. Bad boy and virgin. They shouldn’t work at all. But the more time they spend together, on and off the ice, the more irresistible their chemistry becomes.

The more desperate Mal becomes for some of Elliott’s one-on-one tutoring—this time in bed.

But Elliott wants more than just sex. He wants to melt Mal’s icy cold shoulder and convince him there’s more to life—and love—than a plan.]]> 399 Beth Bolden AJ 0 to-read 4.07 2025 Cold as Ice (Portland Evergreens #2)
author: Beth Bolden
name: AJ
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[From Coast to Coast (Offsides #4)]]> 217942282
Defenseman Grayson Brody has played most of his career with Calgary, but has long fallen out of love with his team. After coming out, he has struggled with his teammates and management, and wishes he’d never done it at all.

With the addition of Remy Stone shaking everything up—both on the ice and off—things start looking up for the first time in years. What starts as a friendship between them, turns into a casual, friends-with-benefits relationship.

Except a casual relationship with a teammate is fraught with complications; particularly when it starts to feel less casual to Grayson, and neither of them are sure what the future looks like for them.]]> 316 J.J. Mulder 1967245134 AJ 0 to-read 4.05 2025 From Coast to Coast (Offsides #4)
author: J.J. Mulder
name: AJ
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Work: Strictly Professional (Bad Decisions #2)]]> 210716319
My boss is a walking red flag. He’s bolshy and rude. Impossible to please. A big, broody man with dark eyes that carry an unmistakable message � I am not manageable.

Seriously, he’s the worst.

If it’s not bad enough that he’s a nightmare in the office, he’s all but ordering me to be his date to his son’s wedding. He says it’s called ‘winning a divorce.�

I try telling him that’s not a real thing but it falls on deaf ears.

Not only that, he appears to be in the throes of a major personal awakening and is determined that I’m the man to guide him through it. Normally, I’m all for going above and beyond in the name of being a star performer at work, but the services he requires are becoming increasingly indecent.

See what I mean? Red flags galore. So many red flags I can’t count them all.

I might as well be playing a game of red flag bingo at this point.

Just my luck, when it comes to Derek MacAvoy…I see a red flag and instantly want to date it.]]> 398 Jesse H. Reign AJ 0 to-read 4.11 Work: Strictly Professional (Bad Decisions #2)
author: Jesse H. Reign
name: AJ
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/02
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]]> <![CDATA[Rent: Paid in Full (Bad Decisions, #1)]]> 199561184
As if my life doesn’t suck enough already, my insufferable new roommate, Miller MacAvoy, seems determined to make things weird. He watches me all the time, grinning at me like a beautiful idiot, eyes boring holes into me every time I turn my back on him.

It’s the last thing I need. Things haven’t been going well. College isn’t working out at all like I’d hoped. I’m drowning in debt, waiting tables every shift I can get, and falling behind on my studies.

Something’s got to give.

I can’t go on like this much longer.

Miller, being the out-of-touch rich boy he is, keeps offering to throw cash my way. Obviously, I’d rather die than accept charity from him.

Still, he watches and waits. Insisting again and again that I have something he wants to buy. It’s insane. I have nothing of value to sell. Absolutely nothing. My phone screen is cracked and my truck could easily be mistaken for scrap.

Wait.

No!

Surely not.

He can’t possibly be thinking that.

Can he?]]> 413 Jesse H. Reign AJ 4 3.99 2024 Rent: Paid in Full (Bad Decisions, #1)
author: Jesse H. Reign
name: AJ
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Loving Leo (Behind the Camera #4)]]> 222043320 I like it even more when the owner of the office turns out to be my grumpy, buttoned up boss, and he catches me in the act. Literally.
He’s not happy about it, but he doesn’t leave, and I don’t stop.
Suddenly, he’s around all the time. Watching me. Taunting me. Teasing me.
It soon becomes a game. A game only we play.
We are opposites in every single way. He can never be seen with someone like me, and I will never be enough for him.
But the more we are around each other, the more I want to give him.
Maybe we can see where this leads if our hearts don’t get broken first.]]> 227 Cora Rose AJ 3 4.01 Loving Leo (Behind the Camera #4)
author: Cora Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Poetry On Ice (Totally Pucked, #1)]]> 222224173 I can’t tell if we’re fighting…or flirting?

Being traded to the Seattle Vipers has left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, they’re my team, the team I’ve loved and supported since I was a kid, but on the other hand, he’s here. Him. Ant Decker. Infamous NHL bad boy. Right wing to my left. A man who’s made it his sole purpose in life to be better than me.

Well, the joke’s on him because I’m faster and my stats are better than his.

Not that I’m competing with him. Of course not. I wouldn’t stoop to his level.

He’s the most infuriating person I’ve ever met. A dark, chaotic presence that distracts me.

When we’re not coming to blows on the ice, he tries to provoke me by calling me Princess. And Pretty Boy...and Babygirl.

I hate it. Obviously, I do. It makes me so angry I can hardly see straight.

So why does my body react as if I like it?]]> 336 Jesse H. Reign AJ 5 4.12 Poetry On Ice (Totally Pucked, #1)
author: Jesse H. Reign
name: AJ
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Puck Chase (Fairfield U #3)]]> 213879327 Blurb coming soon. 445 G.N. Wright AJ 5 4.31 The Puck Chase (Fairfield U #3)
author: G.N. Wright
name: AJ
average rating: 4.31
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:

]]> Make Room for Love 221285493 Starting over is hard. Falling for her gorgeous butch roommate might make it impossible.

When a tall, stunning butch protects Mira from her ex-boyfriend at the club—and offers her a safe place to stay—Mira should be relieved. Not flustered. She’s not into women.

Yet this tough electrician with curves for days makes Mira’s heart race like never before.

But Isabel, wounded by grief, forces Mira to keep her distance. Until Mira’s desperate to win a union election at work—and only Isabel has the experience to teach her how.

Soon they’re lingering over dinner, teasing each other as the apartment heats up. And Isabel is making her coffee every morning, hanging her shelves, giving her smoldering looks before bed�

But Mira can’t afford temptation. Not after living with her nightmare ex.

No matter how well Isabel takes care of her…or how much Isabel needs healing, too.

She can’t risk her freedom—or her heart.

Make Room for Love is a steamy slow-burn romance starring a trans woman discovering she’s bi and finding her happily ever after.]]> 346 Darcy Liao AJ 3 3.91 2024 Make Room for Love
author: Darcy Liao
name: AJ
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom]]> 214151420 From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog and the hidden abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother, and how, in the face of unimaginable pain, she found freedom and healing.

Shari Franke’s childhood was a constant battle for survival. Her mother, Ruby Franke, enforced a severe moral code while maintaining a façade of a picture-perfect family for their wildly popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which documented the day-to-day life of raising six children for a staggering 2.5 million subscribers. But a darker truth lurked beneath the surface—Ruby’s wholesome online persona masked a more tyrannical parenting style than anyone could have imagined.

As the family’s YouTube notoriety grew, so too did Ruby’s delusions of righteousness. Fueled by the sadistic influence of relationship coach Jodi Hildebrandt, together they implemented an inhumane and merciless disciplinary regime.

Ruby and Jodi were arrested in Utah in 2023 on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. On that fateful day, Shari shared a photo online of a police car outside their home. Her caption had one word: “Finally.�

For the first time, Shari will reveal the disturbing truth behind 8 Passengers and her family’s devastating involvement with Jodi Hildebrandt’s cultish life coaching program, “ConneXions.� No stone is left unturned as Shari exposes the perils of influencer culture and shares for the first time her battle for truth and survival in the face of her mother’s cruelty.]]> 320 Shari Franke 1668065398 AJ 0 to-read 4.42 2025 The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom
author: Shari Franke
name: AJ
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Broposal 212924035 In this Latinx adult romance debut from National Book Award Finalist Sonora Reyes, two friends enter into a marriage of convenience to save one from deportation—but everything changes when they unexpectedly fall in love.

Alejandro (Han for short) has never been in love. He purposefully keeps his heart at arm’s length from anyone who might want it, which he lets his family and friends think is due to commitment-phobia paired with a heavy dose of emotional constipation. Now, though, he's coming to learn that it might have more to do with his fear of looking too deeply inward, whether that be his sexuality (he's straight, right?), or the looming anxiety about being undocumented in an increasingly hostile environment.

On the other hand, Han’s roommate and best friend, Kenny, is stuck in a soul-sucking relationship with a woman who wants nothing more than for Kenny to ditch Han and marry her. Kenny can't stand being alone, and has always been afraid of being punished for making the wrong choice, so his girlfriend happily makes most of his decisions for him. But when she forces his hand and makes him choose between their relationship and his best friend, he finally knows without a doubt who the correct choice is.

But things aren’t as easy as they should be with Kenny's ex out of the picture. When Han loses the job that had promised to sponsor his work visa, it leaves the two of them anxious as ever. In order to give his best friend a chance at security (and ok, maybe to make his ex a little jealous), Kenny asks Han to marry him. But neither of them are prepared for the very real feelings pretending to be madly in love stirs up.]]> 384 Sonora Reyes 153876668X AJ 0 to-read 3.84 2025 The Broposal
author: Sonora Reyes
name: AJ
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Stripped (Four Bears Construction, #6)]]> 58027718 A ripped, transgender construction worker and a tweed-wearing, tortoise-shell-cozy-knitting, bear of a professor... Somebody's getting stripped.

The last place I expected to run into my childhood camp crush was at the local university, looking all kinds of cute in a tweed jacket with a nervous blush. I’ve always had a bit of a thing for the nerdy professor type.

Demetri says he doesn’t date. I want to believe that it’s true and not that he’s not interested in a transgender man like me. If all he can offer me is friendship, I’m more than happy to take it.

Coy looks during sweaty workouts, rainy nights on his couch watching him knit shell cozies for his pet tortoise� I’m falling for him whether I want to or not.

Can I break down his walls and prove to him that he can trust me with his heart? And can I trust him with mine?


***Stripped is a swoony, steamy MM romance that is the 6th book in the Four Bears Construction Series. It can be read as a stand alone, but you won’t want to miss these bear’s antics. This series does not contain any shifters, only the OTHER kind of bears.]]> 301 K.M. Neuhold AJ 3 4.21 2021 Stripped (Four Bears Construction, #6)
author: K.M. Neuhold
name: AJ
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves:
review:

]]> Moth (Monstrous, #5) 60398931 When I—along with my best friend and his big purple monster boyfriend—come across a fortress-like raider camp while journeying across the monster-infested Wastes, we stop to deliver a message.

Somehow, that simple pit stop turns into a seemingly impossible quest to get this camp’s missing leader out of the prison where he’s being held and forced to fight monsters and other humans. And I know exactly where it is, because I’ve been there.

Problem is, I’m making this journey with the prickliest and most arrogant guy I’ve ever met, who seems to immediately hate me on sight. Oh, and he’s also half monster. So there’s that. And he’s in love with a raider who definitely does not love him back, and he seems determined to take it out on me. So there’s also that.

But I’m not going to rise to his childish insults and barbed words. I’m not.

I’m also going to try very hard to ignore how mindnumbingly beautiful he is, even when he’s scowling at me.

But the longer we’re out here together, the more I learn about my prickly half monster companion Moth. I realise there’s a reason he’s so closed off and angry. There’s a reason he hates everyone.

There are secrets he’s been keeping, and when I find out what they are, I want to do everything in my power to help him—even though he’s telling me he can’t be helped.

Moth is Book Five of the Monstrous series, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that features monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read the series in order. Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains graphic depictions of death and violence.]]> 451 Lily Mayne AJ 5 4.60 2022 Moth (Monstrous, #5)
author: Lily Mayne
name: AJ
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Garron Park (From Nothing, #1)]]> 127924695
When Devon Sawyer desperately searches for his brother in the middle of the night, beaten and broken, he finds Maddox Kane instead.

With his dad on his trail, he has no choice but to stand on his enemy’s doorstep and let Maddox help. Maddox has never seen Devon this vulnerable. Living in Garron’s trailer park means families dole out discipline on the regular and violence is a part of life, but something about how far Jim Sawyer takes it this time has Maddox unnerved.

Rivals in motocross, work, and life itself, they’re forced to work together for one night. Perspectives change and their friction morphs into something unexpected. Hatred turns to lust. Tensions switch from hostile to aroused. While their competitiveness remains, their dynamic shifts. Their acceptance is anything but graceful.

Two guys who come from nothing, with very little to look forward to, find themselves craving each other in new and fiery ways.

Reluctantly.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

GARRON PARK is book one (1) of two (2) in the From Nothing series. Potential to expand later, but for now remains a duology. They must be read in order as book 2 is a continuation of book 1 featuring the same main characters. It is an MM romance with explicit spicy times, foul language, and two main guys who are pretty down on their luck.]]> 308 Nordika Night AJ 5 4.06 2023 Garron Park (From Nothing, #1)
author: Nordika Night
name: AJ
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves:
review:

]]> Dared (LSU, #4) 217923095 From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Becca Steele comes a new standalone M/M college romance.

When I discovered that my online gaming friend was Leo Evans, a student from my university, I had no idea how much my life would change.

On paper, we’re complete opposites.
He’s a shy computing student and I’m an outgoing footballer.
Yet there’s an undeniable connection between us.

Despite our differences, he’s become my closest friend, and I'm on a mission to make him see himself the way I see him.
So I’ve been daring him to do things to get him out of his comfort zone, to prove to himself that he’s capable of so much more than he thinks he is.

Then…Leo turns the tables on me.
He dares me to kiss him.
It’s supposed to be for practice.
But then it happens again.
And again.

It started with a dare.
It wasn’t supposed to turn into something more�

Dared is the fourth book in the LSU series. Each book can be read as a standalone.]]> 288 Becca Steele AJ 3 3.98 Dared (LSU, #4)
author: Becca Steele
name: AJ
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:

]]> Textual Confusion 220601626 I need you tomorrow.
Same time and place as last week.

Who dis?

Did I f*ck you stupid last time? You know.

Between barely scrapping by financially and dealing with a stalker ex-boyfriend, Asher’s life was already problematic enough before randomly receiving a string of texts from an unknown number in the middle of the night.

He should have just done what a normal person would do and ignore them.

But since when had Asher ever been normal? Besides, based on the not-quite-nudes the guy sent, he was clearly hot. Against his better judgment, Asher responds � which doesn’t take long to devolve into depraved sexting.

He wasn’t expecting the man to Venmo him an eye-popping amount of cash for his trouble. (Not that he ever got the money. The guy didn’t know who he was � or that he was even another man, for that matter.)

That should have been the end of it. Except they keep texting. And, like the utter moron he is, it doesn’t take long for Asher to catch feelings.

Honestly, he ought to know better than to fall for rich assholes by now.

(Otherwise known as how Asher Kodet, twenty-three-year-old baker extraordinaire, becomes the accidental sugar baby of Markus Kingston, richest, meanest � but actually the frickin� sweetest � billionaire CEO in all of Seattle.)]]> 491 Fifer Rose AJ 5 4.11 Textual Confusion
author: Fifer Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Risky Shot (New York Slammers #1)]]> 199825596 KnoxI’ve lived and breathed hockey my entire life. As Captain of the New York Slammers, I live my life the way I do on the bench.Calm and in control.Getting a top five defenseman wasn’t anything new, until he came strolling into the locker room.Now, nothing about my life is controlled, and I soon find myself in the fight of my life.And his.Asher Getting traded to New York was never on my bingo card.A chance to play for the best in the league.Hockey was my only priority.But then I met him.He’s my Captain. He’s off limits.And I’ve always followed the rules.Until This book contains possible triggers and sensitive subjects. Please read with caution or use the Look Inside feature.]]> 323 Heather Lyn AJ 4 4.23 2023 Risky Shot (New York Slammers #1)
author: Heather Lyn
name: AJ
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves:
review:

]]> Edin (Monstrous, #2) 58107402 I was just a boy when the monsters rose on earth, forcing humans to flee to the coastlines and live in cramped, dirty, military-controlled cities. I enlisted as soon as I could to escape.

Now, I’ve been in the military for twelve years and have the scars—and missing body parts—to prove it. As a hardened soldier who’s spent his fair share of time out in the Wastes—the dangerous place where monsters roam free—I didn’t think anything could surprise me anymore.

But then circumstance forced me together with a big, annoying purple monster who’s arrogant and bossy and pushes all my buttons in the worst—and best—ways. I need his help, and I hate needing anyone’s help. But the more time I spend with him, the more I realise that maybe there’s more from him that I need. And that he might need things from me too.

But I’m still a soldier. I still have responsibilities. It doesn’t matter how I feel about Edin, because we can’t be together. It’s too dangerous.

That doesn’t stop me wanting him, though.

Edin is Book Two of the Monstrous series, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that focuses on monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read the series in order. Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains graphic depictions of torture and violence, and mentions PTSD.]]> 410 Lily Mayne AJ 5 4.24 2021 Edin (Monstrous, #2)
author: Lily Mayne
name: AJ
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves:
review:

]]> Soul Eater (Monstrous, #1) 58114709
Twenty years ago, monsters rose on earth and began a new age of civilization.

One where humans live in military-controlled, cramped and dirty cities along the coasts, and the majority of the United States is known as the Wastes. A lawless, desolate and dangerous place, teeming with monsters that have claimed the land for their own.

Including Wyn the Soul Eater.

He appears every three years, making his way across the country and slaughtering humans randomly, sucking them dry until they’re nothing but husks.

I’ve only been in the military for six months, but now I’m part of a unit tasked with trying to stop and capture him. And when I’m the only soldier out of hundreds that the Soul Eater leaves alive, I realise that� something about me has intrigued him.

But what is it? What could a twenty-three year old guy from the south, with no one and nothing in the world, have possibly done to capture the attention of a death monster with horns, blackened fingertips and a face hidden in the dark depths of his hood?

Soul Eater is the debut novel of Lily Mayne. It is the first in a planned post-apocalyptic fantasy series featuring monsters and human men falling in love. This m/m love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains scenes of violence, but don’t worry—they get their happy ending.]]> 329 Lily Mayne AJ 5 4.24 2021 Soul Eater (Monstrous, #1)
author: Lily Mayne
name: AJ
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Rivals of Copper County (Copper County #2)]]> 218137005 My childhood friend. My biggest rival. The only man I’ve ever wanted.

If there were a prize for the most contented man in Copper County, I’d win it every time. I’ve got my business. My son. My family. My friends� and no romantic prospects, sure, but only because I don’t need any. My life’s great as it is. Seriously. Could not be better. I’m practically bleeding serenity over here.

At least until Jasper Wrigley shows up in Copper County after twenty years–as my son’s temporary hockey coach, no less, though the man could barely lace up his skates back in the day–and throws my carefully ordered life into chaos.

Once upon a time, magnetic, confident Jasper was my best friend and greatest rival, and his summer visits to town were the best part of my year. Our competitions were fierce. Our dares were thrilling. We talked about everything under the sun, and he made me believe in the possibility of a bright, hazy future somewhere just out of reach.

But then he left, and I grew up. Now the last thing I need is Jasper back in my space, provoking me, challenging me, and making me question� freaking everything.

Like whether my life’s as perfect as I claim.
Like whether I’m as straight as I think.
Like whether there might be something better than “contentment� out there for me if I’m brave enough to look for it.
And whether the man who was always my greatest rival� might just be the love of my life.]]> 315 May Archer AJ 4 4.27 2024 The Rivals of Copper County (Copper County #2)
author: May Archer
name: AJ
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Bro Pact (Best Bros Forever #1)]]> 214248619 Kyle

I had my entire future mapped out, which is exactly how I prefer things—organized and predictable. Law school, marriage, two-point-five kids, and a white picket fence. Nothing extravagant, just a little family of my own, and a place to call home.

But life has other plans when my long-term girlfriend dumps me at the end of freshman year, and I’m left feeling empty and rejected.

Luckily, my best friend, Warren, is there—like he always is—to make me smile and laugh, distracting me with his latest wild idea. And this one might just take the cake.

He proposes a pact—no girls this summer. Just bros for three whole months.

And I accept.

Warren

When my best friend and I find ourselves burned by the opposite sex and moping around a bonfire in his parents� backyard, I take it upon myself to better our situation.

I fix up an old RV, and we start the summer with an epic road trip to the Pacific that I’m hoping will repair his broken heart. But Kyle keeps creeping on me, stealing shy glances that roam my body and make me feel things I shouldn’t.

It turns out this bro pact is a lot harder than either of us anticipated, and it’s pushing us together in ways we never imagined. Ways that have us questioning just how deep our bromance truly goes.

The Bro Pact is book one in the Best Bros Forever Series, a collection of standalone contemporary gay romances. You can expect best-friends-to-lovers, bi-awakening, gay for you, and forced proximity. This novel is intended for 18+ readers and touches on some sensitive subjects.]]> 304 Charli Meadows AJ 4 3.89 The Bro Pact (Best Bros Forever #1)
author: Charli Meadows
name: AJ
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Defensive Zone (Chicago Thunder #3)]]> 202036700 Zach
Since I was six years old, my world has revolved around two things: Carter Lockwood and hockey.
We made a pact in college before we turned pro to always put each other first. To make each other our priority, but being in love with your straight best friend can make that hard, especially when you have to watch them fall in love with someone else.
I don’t want to break my best friend's heart to save my own, but I need to put some space between us to save our friendship.
Only this time, it’s not just the defensive zone I’m protecting, but also my heart.

Carter
From the moment I met Zach Reid, we were inseparable.
Nobody really understands why I always wanted to be with him. Our relationship is what some people call codependent, but he’s been my favorite person for over two decades, and life is always calmer when he’s around.
But something changed between us over the summer, and I started to see him in a different way.
Then the pact we made in college started to fall apart, along with my football career.
I don’t know what happened or how to make it right, but there’s one thing I know for certain.
I’m lost without him.

Defensive Zone is a childhood best friends to lovers sports romance featuring a hockey player and football player. It includes unrequited love, a bi-awakening, mutual pining and all the Thunder found family vibes.
It is book three in the Chicago Thunder series and can be read as a standalone.]]> 263 Jodi Oliver AJ 3 4.06 2024 Defensive Zone (Chicago Thunder #3)
author: Jodi Oliver
name: AJ
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[It's Complicated (Legacy Mechanics, #2)]]> 218458705 Isaac
For three years Jamie has been my best friend, my roommate, and my wingman. We do everything together, and we live by one simple work hard and play harder. Everything was perfect until what was supposed to be a meaningless threesome between friends changes everything.

Now I can’t stop thinking about that night, and how I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I want Jamie, even if I don’t understand why. We might both be straight, but I can’t ignore the pull between us.

I don’t want to risk losing him, but I can’t keep pretending like nothing happened. And the more time that passes, the more I wonder if he feels the shift between us too.

Jamie
Isaac isn’t just my best friend and roommate, he’s the person I trust most in the world. We’ve been inseparable for three years, and we’re rock solid. Then a mutual ex of ours suggests we have a threesome, and what should have been a fun experiment between friends sends my life into a tailspin.

Now I’m seeing Isaac in a new light. I want him, and I don’t understand why. I try to ignore it so I don’t risk ruining the best friendship I’ve ever had, but that night awakened something in me, and the more time that passes, the more I think it also awakened something in him.

We're both straight, but that doesn’t stop me from picturing my best friend on his knees for me. Or remembering how he looks when he comes.

Isaac and Jamie’s story is a double bi-awakening, best-friends-to-lovers romance featuring two roommates who might not be as straight as they thought. You can expect found family, best friend shenanigans, hurt/comfort, big Golden Retriever energy, some exhibitionism, lots of heat, tons of steam, and all the feels as these two clueless besties realize that sometimes what you want is exactly what you need. It is the second book in the exciting new Legacy Mechanics series but can be read as a standalone. ***Please note that the threesome happens prior to the start of the book and is completely off page***]]> 306 Willow Dixon AJ 4 3.90 It's Complicated (Legacy Mechanics, #2)
author: Willow Dixon
name: AJ
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves:
review:

]]> Evolved 39924226 In 2068, androids are an integrated part of human life. Big Brother no longer just watches from the shadows. It's in every household.

Lloyd Salter has OCD issues with noise and mess, and he's uncomfortable with human interaction. When his ex claimed the only thing perfect enough to live up to his standards was an android, Lloyd dismissed it. But two years later, after much self-assessment, he thinks he may have been right.

SATinc is the largest manufacturer of androids in Australia, including the Fully Compatible Units known as an A-Class 10. Their latest design is the Synthetic Human Android UNit, otherwise known as SHAUN.

Shaun is compatible to Lloyd's every need; the perfect fit on an intellectual and physical basis. But Lloyd soon realises Shaun's not like other A-Class androids. He learns. He adapts. Sure that SATinc is aware Shaun functions outside of his programmed parameters, Lloyd must find a way to keep Shaun safe.

No one can know how special Shaun is. No one can know he's evolved.]]> 244 N.R. Walker AJ 4 4.37 2018 Evolved
author: N.R. Walker
name: AJ
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Flipping the Script (Legacy Mechanics, #1)]]> 217555731 Jesse
After years of working my butt off, I’m finally living the life I always wanted. I have a job I love, friends who’ve become family, and I’m enjoying the freedom of being single.

Then Sebastian, my childhood rival, moves back to town and my perfect life is thrown into chaos. We’ve always hated each other, but now there’s something else between us. Something wild and primal, something that wants to make Sebastian submit as much as it wants to claim him.

Hooking up with the guy I hate is probably the stupidest thing I’ve done, and that’s saying a lot. But it’s hard to remember why it’s a bad idea when he’s the only person who’s ever made me lose control, and the only man I can’t stay away from.

Sebastian
Retiring from the music industry at twenty-five wasn’t in my long-term plans. Neither was moving home after being away for seven years. But here I am with a serious case of burnout and no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life.

I hoped that moving back would give me a chance to shed my public persona and just be Sebastian again, but that doesn’t seem to be happening any time soon.

The only thing in my life that makes sense is my old rivalry with Jesse, the guy I’ve hated since we were eight. Arguing with him is as exhilarating as it is familiar, and no one is more surprised than me when a fight leads to our first kiss, then more.

Jesse may be the most annoying person I’ve ever known, but the tension between us is too strong to ignore. I hate that I want him but love that he can’t stay away from me either.

Jesse and Sebastian’s book is an enemies-to-lovers romance featuring a mechanic with a secret, and a retired musician looking for his place in the world. You can expect hurt/comfort, forced proximity, ‘there’s only one bed�, found family, lots of heat, tons of dirty talk, primal play, hate s*x, and fighting as these two childhood rivals figure out that sometimes what you need has been in front of you all along. It is the first book in the exciting new Legacy Mechanics series but can be read as a standalone.]]> 328 Willow Dixon AJ 5 4.03 Flipping the Script (Legacy Mechanics, #1)
author: Willow Dixon
name: AJ
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/16
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves:
review:

]]> Sweetboy 30247557
Read on to find out! This story by Amelita Rae will warm your heart and remind you of the power of true love to bring hope to even the darkest places.

~43,500 words]]> 159 Amelita Rae AJ 3 3.80 Sweetboy
author: Amelita Rae
name: AJ
average rating: 3.80
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/13
date added: 2024/11/13
shelves:
review:

]]> Whisper (Westbrook Elite, #7) 209954195 Can you whisper?
Something I never thought I’d ask the guy who is exactly my type
but completely wrong for me.
Someone I sneak secret glances at from a distance while vowing to never get too close.
And then I get tossed in jail. With him.
Know how forced proximity and extreme panic go together?
They don’t. And the walls I spent a lifetime erecting around me crack,
giving him an intimate view of all the secrets I work so hard to protect.
Color me surprised when the pierced, tattooed DJ doesn’t recoil or call me a freak.
Arsen gets me through the night, his attention like a match to my insides,
lighting me on fire and making me burn.
Keeping my distance is impossible.
My body begs to be near him, but we just don’t mix.
He’s fire. I’m water.
Sound is his superpower but my kryptonite.
For once in my life, my heart is louder than my head, and I can’t stay away.
But it seems following my heart leads me straight into trouble.
Turns out I’m not the only one who thinks maybe Arsen and I don’t belong together,
and the people who agree will go to extremes to make sure we stay apart.

Whisper is a Westbrook Elite standalone novel, a college sports romance featuring:
Opposites attract
A single jail cot
Star-crossed lovers
Auditory disability rep (misophonia & tinnitus)
Hurt/Comfort
Bromance/Found family
OTT possessive MC]]> 468 Cambria Hebert AJ 0 dnf 4.26 2024 Whisper (Westbrook Elite, #7)
author: Cambria Hebert
name: AJ
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Beautifully Fractured (Front Range University #1)]]> 211055427
Cruz
Starting over is not what I had planned.

Those stories about magically becoming best friends with the person assigned to live with you� Yeah, that won’t be me. I already have a best friend. Even if I wanted a new one, Liam wouldn’t be it. He’s permanently grouchy, carrying a negative energy I don’t need since I’m finally in a good place. But I’ve never been good at ignoring when people need help, so I paste on a smile and play nice.

Predictably, Liam isn’t much of a talker, but after an unexpected accident he needs my help in other ways. Ways that offer me answers about myself. Ways that raise new questions about the football dreams I’ve been chasing since I was a kid. Ways that make me relive the past I want to ignore.

To say I’m confused is an understatement, but there’s one thing I know for certain…Liam is either the key to one door or the bolt that could prevent another from ever opening. And I have to choose which I want him to be.

Liam
Starting over is exactly what I need.

I can’t get any more invisible than I’ve been for the past few years, and I figure rooming with another person means at least one human on the planet can’t ignore me. Unfortunately, that human is Adonis personified, and not gay, so it’s looking like my invisibility streak might continue.

Then I suffer a minor accident, and Cruz’s hero complex comes out in full force.

I should be grateful to have someone to open my door and carry my books, but when you pair his selfless personality with that body� My mind starts to blur the roommate line, which makes his blur the line of not being gay.

My heart is already battered, and I doubt it can take rejection from the one person who broke down all the walls I’d built around it. That doesn’t mean I won’t try to give it to him anyway.

**Beautifully Fractured is a high-heat MM romance with medium angst that features a grumpy/sunshine relationship, forced proximity, hurt/comfort situations and a bi-awakening. This is book one in a series of interconnected standalones. Though the main characters are athletes, this is not a sports romance. Rather, it's a romance that happens to feature people who play sports.]]> 287 Michele Lenard 1955979324 AJ 4 4.07 2024 Beautifully Fractured (Front Range University #1)
author: Michele Lenard
name: AJ
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/10
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sunsets & Other Dangerous Things]]> 214256996 A sunshine vampire who can't help falling in love, a grumpy grad student who's followed by bad luck, and a cure that could bring them together or end them forever.

Ashley, a jobless millennial, thought becoming a vampire sounded romantic in the mid-aughts. Now she’s dodging vampire-hunting witches and student loans while trying to regain some of the security she lost years ago when her girlfriend vanished shortly after changing her. The join an established vampire family. All they want is for Ashley to first complete one year of undergrad without giving away her undead status. This proves challenging as, despite her lack of heartbeat, Ashley's romantic tendencies are alive and well as she finds herself falling head over feet for her class’s cute but prickly graduate assistant.

Esther just wants to finish her master’s program and never talk to people again. As a walking bad luck charm, she finds solace in following the rules and regulations of her archive internship and graduate assistant duties. Until she’s paired for a school project with the girl in class whose smile inexplicably makes her knees weak... and also happens to be a vampire. Hoping to figure out what these warm, fuzzy feelings are about, Esther agrees to help Ashley navigate Christmas with her family as her fake girlfriend.

But the witches have their own plan brewing. They’ve created a cure for vampires that will give Esther a chance at a new life with Ashley by releasing Ashley from the forever-life she regrets. All Esther has to do is betray Ashley by giving the witches what they need to complete the spell, leaving Ashley to choose between the stability of the vampire family or a happily ever after that will only last a few decades.]]> 364 Dani Frank AJ 0 to-read 4.28 Sunsets & Other Dangerous Things
author: Dani Frank
name: AJ
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Don't You Dare 58511930
A party game. A dare. A single kiss.

That’s all it took to flip my world upside down.

I’ve always classified myself as straight, and as far as I can tell, so has he.

I didn’t think one kiss would change that, but I was so wrong.

Now, I can’t stop thinking about him. In all the ways I shouldn’t.

My best friend.

Aspen.

His taste is branded in my memory, his touch seared in my skin.

And I want more.

This simmering attraction I feel only grows with passing time.

Which is why I start tossing out new dares.

Riskier ones that toe lines we never thought we’d cross.

I’m gambling with our friendship, knowing it could ruin us.

But there’s so much more at stake here.

Like my heart.


*Don't You Dare is a new adult college romance featuring two best friends, too many baseball puns, scorching dirty talk, and a whole lot of bi-curious exploration. Not suitable for anyone under 18 years of age.*]]> 412 C.E. Ricci AJ 5 4.07 2022 Don't You Dare
author: C.E. Ricci
name: AJ
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/11/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tongue-Tied (Franklin U 2, #6)]]> 208920591 Confessing feelings for your best friend takes being tongue-tied to a whole new level.

AUSTIN
Dex has always been my best friend, so it’s no surprise that we attend Franklin U together. We’re complete opposites. Dex is charismatic and outgoing. Me? Let’s just say I wish I could infuse some of his confidence into my veins. Making friends is hard enough, but trying to meet guys, even with Dex’s help? I’m useless. Maybe it’s because Dex is all about hooking up, but I want my first time to be straight out of the pages of the romance novels I read.

DEX
After a string of mishaps, I swore off helping Austin land guys. But when he asks me to show him the ropes with practice sessions, I get the feeling he’s desperate. Our dates are pretend, so why am I getting so into them? I want to make Austin happy, but the line between friendship and something more is getting really damned blurry. The fluttery feeling, that electric energy every time we touch…it’s addicting. I’m getting overprotective, not only of my time with Austin, but with douchebags who might break his heart.

Eventually, the pretending has to end so Austin can strike out on his own. But how do I tell him I’m not ready to let him go, when every attempt at confessing leaves me tongue-tied?
]]> 256 Christina Lee AJ 4 3.80 2024 Tongue-Tied (Franklin U 2, #6)
author: Christina Lee
name: AJ
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Loving the Legend (Chasing Rings, #1)]]> 205810705 Since Pro basketball player Ty “Pretty Boy� Washington picked up a basketball, he’s only ever wanted one to make it to the pro league and win championships. As the number one pick in the draft, he defies the odds in his rookie year by beating the record of one of the greatest players in the league, Sid “The Wonder Kid� King.

For years, Ty has looked forward to playing in the same league as Sid, the epitome of success. What he doesn’t expect is their intense chemistry or how Sid is the only person who can see that he’s barely hanging on.

At the top of his game, Sid is well on his way to becoming a legend. Voted the Sexiest Man Alive with a reputation as a ladies� man, he seems to have it all. When he sees for the first time the undeniably talented rookie with soulful yet sad eyes, long-buried feelings surface.

Loving the Legend is book 1 in the MM sports romance Chasing Rings series. Each book ends with a HEA, can be read as a stand-alone, and features a new couple. Themes include two MCs from rival teams turned lovers, grief/trauma, hurt/comfort, hidden relationships, possessiveness, found family, and more. Both MCs are consenting adults.]]> 488 Kit Grey AJ 5 4.29 2024 Loving the Legend (Chasing Rings, #1)
author: Kit Grey
name: AJ
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/05
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves:
review:

]]> I Who Have Never Known Men 11996 "As far back as I can recall, I have been in the bunker."

A young woman is kept in a cage underground with thirty-nine other females, guarded by armed men who never speak; her crimes unremembered... if indeed there were crimes.

The youngest of forty—a child with no name and no past—she survives for some purpose long forgotten in a world ravaged and wasted. In this reality where intimacy is forbidden—in the unrelenting sameness of the artificial days and nights—she knows nothing of books and time, of needs and feelings.

Then everything changes... and nothing changes.

A young woman who has never known men—a child who knows of no history before the bars and restraints—must now reinvent herself, piece by piece, in a place she has never been... and in the face of the most challenging and terrifying of unknowns: freedom.]]> 208 Jacqueline Harpman 0380731819 AJ 3 4.22 1995 I Who Have Never Known Men
author: Jacqueline Harpman
name: AJ
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1995
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/11/04
shelves:
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]]> The Inmate 61149872 1) Treat all prisoners with respect.
2) Never reveal any personal information.
3) Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.

But none of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary's most notorious and dangerous inmates. And they certainly don't know that Shane was Brooke's high school sweetheart―the star quarterback who is now spending the rest of his life in prison for a series of grisly murders. Or that Brooke's testimony was what put him there.

But Shane knows. And he will never forget.]]> 388 Freida McFadden AJ 5 4.03 2022 The Inmate
author: Freida McFadden
name: AJ
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/03
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves:
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]]> Caught Off Guard 123229350
Now that Matthias has to be Casey’s backup whether he likes it or not, they have to find a way to work together. That’s when a third tiny problem appears: The more time they spend together, the more Matthias is drawn to Casey. If Matthias wants to help his team win the Cup, he can’t get distracted � but there’s nothing as distracting as Casey.]]> 258 Catherine Cloud AJ 0 to-read 3.91 2023 Caught Off Guard
author: Catherine Cloud
name: AJ
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Build-A-Boyfriend Project 210202137 Mason Deaver AJ 0 to-read 4.33 2025 The Build-A-Boyfriend Project
author: Mason Deaver
name: AJ
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Choke Up (Forbidden Goals) 208957064
Gabe Rodgers is loyal to his best friend to a fault, but his thoughts toward Elliot’s smaller, softer twin are anything but brotherly. When he finds out Ellis is meeting hook-ups on a campus meetup app, protectiveness, or maybe possessiveness, drives him to make an anonymous profile. Pretending to be someone else, he finds himself drawn to Ellis more than ever before.

But will their connection be as strong when Ellis finds out that his secret meetups have been with the very guy he’s been trying to avoid? And when the blindfold is removed, will either of the brothers be able to forgive Gabe for his deception?

All books in the Forbidden Goals series are standalone and do not need to be read in any particular order.]]> 407 Rebecca Rathe AJ 3 4.03 Choke Up (Forbidden Goals)
author: Rebecca Rathe
name: AJ
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/31
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves:
review:

]]> Reckless (Unlucky 13, #12) 217906551 The reason? My teammate, Theo Lewin. We’ve hated each other since the day we met, and now, our rivalry is spiralling out of control.

When we hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, our manager gives us an ultimatum. Learn to work together and curb our reckless behaviour, or risk being transferred to another team.
Banished to a far-flung tropical island, attending a rehab centre for the elite, we’re expected to not only spend our days together, but our nights, too.

This can only end one way. In disaster.
Except� our forced proximity is changing everything between us in a way I never could have anticipated.

There’s a saying� what happens on the island, stays on the island.
Before we go back to reality, we’re going to be reckless one last time.


Reckless is a standalone enemies to lovers M/M romance between two professional football (soccer) teammates. This novel was previously part of the Unlucky 13 series. ]]> 400 Becca Steele AJ 0 4.09 2023 Reckless (Unlucky 13, #12)
author: Becca Steele
name: AJ
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/01
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves:
review:
dnf at 84% was good bit got bored, not very memorable
]]> Chain-Gang All-Stars 61190770
Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker are the stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly-popular, highly-controversial, profit-raising program in America's increasingly dominant private prison industry. It's the return of the gladiators and prisoners are competing for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

In CAPE, prisoners travel as Links in Chain-Gangs, competing in death-matches for packed arenas with righteous protestors at the gates. Thurwar and Staxxx, both teammates and lovers, are the fan favorites. And if all goes well, Thurwar will be free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. As she prepares to leave her fellow Links, she considers how she might help preserve their humanity, in defiance of these so-called games, but CAPE's corporate owners will stop at nothing to protect their status quo and the obstacles they lay in Thurwar's path have devastating consequences.

Moving from the Links in the field to the protestors to the CAPE employees and beyond, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopic, excoriating look at the American prison system's unholy alliance of systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration, and a clear-eyed reckoning with what freedom in this country really means.]]> 367 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 0593317335 AJ 0 to-read 4.13 2023 Chain-Gang All-Stars
author: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
name: AJ
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> So Thirsty 203608552 A woman must learn to take life by the throat after a night out leads to irrevocable changes in this juicy, thrilling novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Such Sharp Teeth and Black Sheep.

Sloane Parker is dreading her birthday. She doesn’t need a reminder she’s getting older, or that she’s feeling indifferent about her own life.

Her husband surprises her with a birthday weekend getaway—not with him, but with Sloane’s longtime best friend, troublemaker extraordinaire Naomi.

Sloane anticipates a weekend of wine tastings and cozy robes and strategic avoidance of issues she’d rather not confront, like her husband’s repeated infidelity. But when they arrive at their rental cottage, it becomes clear Naomi has something else in mind. She wants Sloane to stop letting things happen to her, for Sloane to really live. So Naomi orchestrates a wild night out with a group of mysterious strangers, only for it to take a horrifying turn that changes Sloane’s and Naomi’s lives literally forever.

The friends are forced to come to terms with some pretty eternal consequences in this bloody, seductive novel about how it’s never too late to find satisfaction, even though it might taste different than expected.]]> 304 Rachel Harrison 0593642546 AJ 0 to-read 3.49 2024 So Thirsty
author: Rachel Harrison
name: AJ
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Man On (Forbidden Goals) 203425873
They could have been friends- like real brothers, even. Instead, circumstances and an unfortunate incident at soccer camp pitted them against each other. But when they find themselves playing for the same team, their competitive relationship takes an unexpected turn.

Man On is an enemies to lovers MM sports romance.]]> 482 Rebecca Rathe AJ 4 4.13 Man On (Forbidden Goals)
author: Rebecca Rathe
name: AJ
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Silencer (Unexpectedly Twisted, #1)]]> 214445063 Anthony Costello may be a vicious mafia boss with a penchant for violence and torture, but he’s also my best friend’s father and the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on. His buttoned-up demeanor and grumpy attitude only fuel my desire to take him apart. I live to push all his buttons. And though he says he’s straight, it seems Anthony may have a soft spot and possessive streak for this smart-mouthed twink. Because as war between rival gangs escalates, things between Anthony and I start to heat up. And I think I’d rather like to sit on the king’s lap to watch it all burn.

The Unexpectedly Twisted series is a rom-com mafia spin-off of the Unexpected series. It contains dark themes and triggers, please see content warnings at the beginning of each book.]]> 304 Cora Rose AJ 2 4.00 The Silencer (Unexpectedly Twisted, #1)
author: Cora Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Reluctantly You (Our Exception #3)]]> 217056778 Sounds like a tacky wall-art quote to me. But what do I know? I don’t have a family. Not anymore. And I definitely don’t know loyalty. Not since my brothers collectively decided to shut me out of their lives... Not since my mother lied to me and kept a devastating secret... Not since my father sold our company out from under me to a smug jerk with a chip on his shoulder.
Gideon Masters� he’s my new boss, and I hate him for everything that’s happened to me. For everything that’s been taken away. Even though I know, deep down, that being an angry bastard all my life hasn’t done me any favors, and that my hatred must have consequences. So maybe Gideon is my rightful punishment. Maybe I deserve his retribution for my sins. But the way he taunts me and torments me, the way he commands me, it all feels too good to be wrong. Maybe I don’t want him to stop. Maybe my punishment could also be my savior.

This story contains intense themes of depression and homophobia, as well as other potential triggers. Please see the full list of trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.]]> 354 Cora Rose AJ 5 4.39 2024 Reluctantly You (Our Exception #3)
author: Cora Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/18
date added: 2024/10/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Head in the Game (Groveton College; Forbidden Goals)]]> 213262277
All Jack Perry has ever been good at is playing football. So when he gets an opportunity to play at a top school with a full scholarship, he jumps on it. But it's more than just the opportunity that reels him in. The heat and intensity he feels when he's around his new coach is visceral. He'll do anything to make his coach proud.

Head In The Game is part of the Forbidden Goals series of forbidden MM sports romance standalones. You can read these books in any order.]]> 376 Rebecca Rathe AJ 5 4.14 Head in the Game (Groveton College; Forbidden Goals)
author: Rebecca Rathe
name: AJ
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/13
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Forbidden Puckboy (Puckboys #7)]]> 214454713
You know what’s the worst feeling in the world? Being in love with someone since you were twelve years old, knowing they only see you as a little brother type.

Not even becoming an NHL star has made him realize I’m all grown up now.

All of that changes when I ask my brother’s best friend to ref a charity match and we spend an entire week in each other’s pocket.

Being close to him is torture, but for the first time since my adolescent crush started, I begin to feel hope. I swear Knox looks at me the same way I look at him. Or so I think. When I throw myself at him and get utterly rejected, I never want to see him again.

Yet, shaking him is impossible, because he and Connor are always around, and my older brother is suffocatingly protective. Every time I look at Knox, I’m reminded of how he turned me down.

Can’t I just die of embarrassment in peace?

Knox

The Kiki brothers are legendary in the NHL world. Thick as thieves, unstoppable on the ice, and the kind of family nothing can come between. Or so I thought.

For the last ten years, I’ve successfully hidden my feelings for the middle Kiki brother. Easton is snarky, determined, and the prettiest guy I’ve met. Ever since we stumbled across each other on a gay dating app and shared our secrets, I’ve felt a connection to him that I haven’t had with anything else.

But Connor is my best friend and when it comes to his little brothers, “protective� doesn’t cover it. I’m determined to take my feelings for Easton to the grave, but after a week in close proximity to him, my willpower is ready to break.

All it takes is one charity hockey match, a drunken night out, and a forbidden kiss for me to know that Easton Kikishkin is it for me.

And unless I want to lose Connor, Easton will never be mine.]]> 274 Eden Finley AJ 3 3.80 2024 Forbidden Puckboy (Puckboys #7)
author: Eden Finley
name: AJ
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/02
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Like You Hate Me (Hawthorne University #1)]]> 194856118
The day my sister died, I told her best friend I never wanted to see him again, and I meant it.

I lost her because of him. Everything I used to care about means nothing now because of him.

It’s all because of him.

So when he shows up on my driveway two years later and tells me he’s moving in with me for his freshman year of college, I kick his ass and tell him to disappear. For good this time.

But I already know the defiant little brat’s not gonna listen. He never does.

Being near him again makes me crazy. I’m supposed to be the college basketball star my father raised me to be, but now I’m focused on a new game. I’m obsessed with watching him, touching him, breaking him. His body, his head, his heart, anything I can get my hands on�

I’m gonna take it all until he’s got nothing left.

And even though he knows exactly what I’m doing to him, he’s gonna let me do it anyway.]]> 404 Bethany Winters AJ 3 4.08 Like You Hate Me (Hawthorne University #1)
author: Bethany Winters
name: AJ
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/28
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hidden Scars (Darby U Hockey Boys, #1)]]> 62775194 I want to sock the golden boy of college hockey right in the mouth.
He enjoys telling me everything I’m messing up. Publicly.
And since he’s my roommate for the next year, I can’t avoid him.

Yet there’s something about him that makes me watch him.
Something dark.
A secret I want to uncover.

When he returns from a weekend away, broken and haunted, I can’t keep my distance anymore.
He needs someone and I’ll be damned if it’s not me.
Soon my life no longer revolves around hockey, but the nightmares he’s living with.
Desperately I want to save him but I can’t, not yet. The timing has to be just right.

Can I watch him destroy himself as he tries to hold tight to the things that matter or will I be the final hit in the destruction of his life?]]> 470 Andi Jaxon AJ 0 4.13 2022 Hidden Scars (Darby U Hockey Boys, #1)
author: Andi Jaxon
name: AJ
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:
dnf 85% don't like the "romance" if you can even call it that and i'm just very bored
]]> <![CDATA[God of Fury (Legacy of Gods, #5)]]> 201871211 From USA Today bestselling author Rina Kent comes a new STANDALONE MM college romance.

I’m not attracted to men.
Or so I thought before I slammed into Nikolai Sokolov.
A mafia heir, a notorious bastard, and a violent monster.
An ill-fated meeting puts me in his path.
And just like that, he has his sights set on me.
A quiet artist, a golden boy, and his enemy’s twin brother.
He doesn’t seem to care that the odds are stacked against us.
In fact, he sets out to break my steel-like control and blur my limits.
I thought my biggest worry was being noticed by Nikolai.
I’m learning the hard way that being wanted by this beautiful nightmare is much worse.

This book can be read on its own, but for a better understanding of the world, you might want to start with God of Malice.]]> 510 Rina Kent 1685452183 AJ 5 4.44 2023 God of Fury (Legacy of Gods, #5)
author: Rina Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/23
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves:
review:

]]> Lost Boy (The Loyal Boys, #3) 142561768
Being alone is nothing new. I’ve been abandoned by everyone. Now, I have absolutely no one. I might even prefer it that way. All I really need is a guitar and my thoughts.

Just shy of my eighteenth birthday, I’m forced to move across the country to live with my uncle in California. He’s the head basketball coach at Acadia Lake Prep, the new private academy I’m attending. Ryder Cruz is his star player.

He makes me question things about myself and what I want. Things I’ve never once considered. The oversized and enthusiastic jock is always around, insisting I smile and laugh with him. But it won’t work. It can’t. The painful memories and regret I carry are too strong. I’m not sure I’ll ever feel again.

Ryder

Basketball is great. So are my friends. Dad. My little sister Sofie. I’m team captain, and I’m taking us to State.

It’s easy to forget that nothing is ever as it seems. I fight my demons with smiles and awkward jokes, but things are starting to pile up. Pranks between my guys and the rival public school, issues with my mother, and a secret I can’t tell anyone. A truth that holds me in its grasp. I can’t risk the team or my college acceptance—my future . Can’t risk my dream.

I’m gay. And no one can know.

It wasn’t as hard to keep this close to my chest until Fallon Rivers showed up with his big, sad eyes and bright blue hair. I’m not sure I can continue hiding who I am. I need this boy to smile. To talk to me. I need to spark some life back into his soul.

He doesn’t realize my dad and his uncle are partners, but he’ll find out soon enough. Sleepovers happen almost every weekend. And now that he’s here and staying for good, I guess he’ll just have to get used to my presence. Because I’m determined to make him feel again and maybe even free myself along the way.

Lost Boy is a 90,000-word friends-to-lovers gay romance. It is book three in The Loyal Boys Series, a collection of standalone contemporary M/M romances. You can expect opposites attract, forced proximity, hurt/comfort, steamy first times, and a supportive found family. This novel is intended for 18+ readers and contains explicit scenes, mild violence, language, and bullying from outside sources. See Author’s Note for a full list of Content Warnings.]]> 358 Charli Meadows AJ 2 dnf too instalove for me 4.01 2023 Lost Boy (The Loyal Boys, #3)
author: Charli Meadows
name: AJ
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/09/15
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
review:
dnf too instalove for me
]]> The Therapist 54860390 A gripping psychological suspense and a powerful tale of a house that holds a shocking secret.

When Alice and Leo move into a newly renovated house in The Circle, a gated community of exclusive houses, it is everything they’ve dreamed of. But appearances can be deceptive�

As Alice is getting to know her neighbours, she discovers a devastating secret about her new home, and begins to feel a strong connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before.

Alice becomes obsessed with trying to piece together what happened two years before. But no one wants to talk about it. Her neighbors are keeping secrets and things are not as perfect as they seem…]]> 298 B.A. Paris 1250274125 AJ 0 3.72 2021 The Therapist
author: B.A. Paris
name: AJ
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/08/20
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Bluejay 123192484 Megan Stockton AJ 0 3.57 Bluejay
author: Megan Stockton
name: AJ
average rating: 3.57
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2024/08/25
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Girls in Love (Girls, #1) 266765
Join the girls as they work out how to deal with all the surprises that being a teenage can bring. Sometimes sad, sometimes scary and often funny, don't miss this unputdownable and hugely popular trilogy for teenage readers by the award-winning Jacqueline Wilson.]]> 160 Jacqueline Wilson 0552551317 AJ 0 3.59 1997 Girls in Love (Girls, #1)
author: Jacqueline Wilson
name: AJ
average rating: 3.59
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at: 2024/09/16
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sunshine for Sale (Homegrown Hearts, #1)]]> 202946493 But it’s glaringly obvious now that I’ve moved to this Podunk small town that seems to run entirely on sugar, friendliness, and cheer. (And cows, an ungodly number of cows.)
I hate it—this place where everyone knows everyone, and I’m still the outsider.
But who wants to fit in anyways? I’ve never really tried, never even thought I wanted to� until I met him.
Jimbob is living his best life out here, farming the fields of Kansas, well and truly happy. And I just don’t get it. His charming smiles, playful winks, and easy-going attitude infuriate me, but I can’t look away. He’s like a bright, sunny day sweeping through my prickly hailstorm.
And I’m so utterly confused, because I’ve never felt this way before. There’s just something about Jimbob that makes me want to try.
Makes me want to belong.
Makes me want to put down roots in the glow of his sunshine.]]> 213 Cora Rose AJ 0 dnf 3.94 Sunshine for Sale (Homegrown Hearts, #1)
author: Cora Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hookup Mix-up (Franklin U 2, #1)]]> 208927978 Perry
I moved to San Luco to get to know my brother, and so far, it’s been great. Working as a bartender at Shenanigans, a bar close to Franklin University, there are beautiful men and women everywhere. When a hot guy falls into my arms at a party, I’m down for some naughty fun. Until I realize he’s way too drunk for anything to happen. Thankfully, we agree to meet up the next day.

One near-kiss later, I discover Theo has no idea I’ve been hitting on him. He thinks we’re hanging out as buddies, and to my great regret, says he’s straight. How did I misread this situation when I thought he was giving me all the right signals?


Theo
Perry thinks I’m a nine � a nine! Sure, I’m not into dudes, but it’s flattering that someone as attractive as him thinks I’m hot. Despite the confusion, Perry and I click and agree to keep hanging out. The more time I spend with him, the more I realize there’s a part of myself I’ve been ignoring. One that’s super bi and wants Perry as more than a friend.

Trying to study with him makes things hard for me…below the belt. Unfortunately, his abandonment issues have him open to a fling and nothing more, while I’m catching feelings in a big way. Can I be satisfied with a hookup? Or should I find a way to convince him to take a chance on making this something real?]]> 243 Riley Hart AJ 0 dnf 4.07 2024 The Hookup Mix-up (Franklin U 2, #1)
author: Riley Hart
name: AJ
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> Brad's Bachelor Party 42594097 91 River Jaymes 0991280768 AJ 0 dnf 4.00 2013 Brad's Bachelor Party
author: River Jaymes
name: AJ
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> We Used to Live Here 199798006
As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.

As soon as the strangers enter their home, inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?

This unputdownable and spine-tingling novel “is like quicksand: the further you delve into its pages, the more immobilized you become by a spiral of terror. We Used to Live Here will haunt you even after you have finished it� (Agustina Bazterrica, author of Tender Is the Flesh).]]> 312 Marcus Kliewer 1982198788 AJ 0 3.66 2024 We Used to Live Here
author: Marcus Kliewer
name: AJ
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/08/17
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves:
review:
The creepy vibes were absolutely unmatched! I literally found myself nervous to know what was going to happen next. The ending was so !!! I won't give anything away but omg
]]> <![CDATA[The Step Don't (Peach State Stepbros, #2)]]> 208168533 ASH

All stepbrothers need Step Don'ts.
Colin and I have ours.
Like, don't pit our parents against either of us. Don't hog the TV. And definitely...
Don't.
Keep.
Secrets.
These rules have done more than help us keep the peace between us.
After all these years since our parents got together, I can't imagine my life without Colin.
To most people, he's the hot, straight tight end for Peach State.
But to me, he's my backward-cap-wearing, football-loving, piggyback-ride-giving best friend and fellow Alpha Theta Mu frat bro.
Life's pretty incredible living together at the same frat house, but suddenly, I find myself keeping a particularly naughty secret.
I tell myself Colin wouldn't want to know what his bi bro does in private, but then why do I feel like I'm committing a huge Step Don't?

COLIN

There's nothing I'm more of an expert in than my stepbro, Ash.
He's a quick-witted, nerd-boy genius who's always there to help a friend cram for a test or capture bugs for me when they invade my space.
He's my favorite person.
Making him happy gives me a rush...but for the first time, he's keeping a secret from me.
When Ash cops to his Step Don't—his new extracurricular of doing dirty things on camera—I'm confused.
He is too, so we work together to figure out why this excites him so much.
In places we're likely to get caught.
After all, what's a little exhibitionism between stepbros?
I didn't even realize I could be into guys—or be so intoxicated by these new experiences—but exploring my bisexuality with Ash is the best thing that's ever happened to me.
And with each touch, each time we up the stakes, I discover I want more than just Ash's body.
I want his heart too, even though that surely must be the biggest Step Don't of all.

This is the second book in the Peach State Stepbros Series. It can be enjoyed as a standalone.]]> 340 Riley Hart AJ 2 3.80 2024 The Step Don't (Peach State Stepbros, #2)
author: Riley Hart
name: AJ
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves:
review:
dnf at 70% just not for me at all
]]> MateHub: Legend (MateHub, #1) 200882874 an alternative cover edition can be found here

The contract was simple: three months, seven scenes, zero feelings. Following it was not.

Richard Knotz is a legend in the world of supernatural adult entertainment, and he knows it. While most paranormal adult actors shy away from the temporary bonds needed to perform knotting scenes, he's made them his brand. Bonding a human could never threaten to tear his empire to the ground, no matter how tempting that human smells.

Hunter Savage thinks Richard Knotz is a smug son of a wolf, but when he's offered a contract to work with him, the payout is too lucrative to say no. Three months bonded to Richard could make his entire career. He just doesn't expect to find a soft side under Richard's prickly exterior, or for the apartment they're forced to share to start feeling like home.

The bonding contract is easy and painless as long as they remember one cardinal rule: don't get attached. Their employer has no use for unprofessional fools who let feelings jeopardize profits. But in between filming scorching scenes with ridiculous scenarios, they discover they're more compatible than either could have imagined.

As their limited time together winds down, they face a choice—risk their careers for the unexpected connection they've found, or lose their bond forever.

MateHub: Legend is a high heat, arranged bonding, forced proximity, dislike-to-love paranormal romance featuring an arrogant wolf shifter who thinks a little too highly of various parts of his anatomy, the feisty human who finally takes him down a few notches, nosy fans, meddling friends, knotting, and a contract that is destined to fail.

This stand-alone novel is set in the Elemental Bonds universe and guarantees a HEA for its main couple. It does not contain mpreg or cheating. Please look inside for content warnings.]]> 362 Marie Reynard 1958002062 AJ 2 dnf at 53% not for me 4.30 2024 MateHub: Legend (MateHub, #1)
author: Marie Reynard
name: AJ
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves:
review:
dnf at 53% not for me
]]> <![CDATA[The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2)]]> 1215032 There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.�

My name is Kvothe.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.

So begins the tale of a hero told from his own point of view � a story unequaled in fantasy literature. Now in The Wise Man's Fear, an escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe uncovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King's Road.

All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, is forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived ... until Kvothe.

In The Wise Man's Fear, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

]]> 994 Patrick Rothfuss 0756404738 AJ 0 to-read 4.55 2011 The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2)
author: Patrick Rothfuss
name: AJ
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Just Bromantically Invested (Accidental Love, #4)]]> 217247187 Madden

My best friend is uptight, gorgeous, the greatest person I know � and I might be a smidge in love with him. Just a small amount. Barely worth the mention.

Which is a stupid choice on my part when the guy is straight.

Starting a landscaping company with him was the perfect mix of doing what I love and an excuse to spend time with him, only it hasn’t completely taken off yet and now he’s telling me he’s lonely.

Lonely.

Apparently having one friend in your life isn’t enough.

So I’m determined to help him find love. With someone other than me. Maybe if I can pull that off, it’ll mean my heart will finally get the message and move on.

Or finish breaking into a hundred pieces.

Same thing, right?

Penn

Being besties with an overenthusiastic, gold-hearted, nudist of a man is a challenge sometimes. Madden makes everything sunshine when he’s around.

The problem is that he hasn’t been around as much lately. We work together, sure, but he’s got his roommates and I have � no one. Just him. So I feel the distance acutely.

My one reassurance is that we have work tying us together, but when an old client calls with a proposition for us, it feels like our once solid friendship is unraveling fast.

He wants Madden to help him open a nudist resort, and if Madden’s doing that, he won’t be working with me.

I’m trying not to panic over the thought of losing him, which is a typical, common best friend reaction. Nothing out of the ordinary.

And neither is the way my body has been reacting to him lately.

Everything is totally, completely normal between us.

While there’s still an us at all.



]]> 268 Saxon James AJ 0 to-read 3.71 2024 Just Bromantically Invested (Accidental Love, #4)
author: Saxon James
name: AJ
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Shots on Net (SCU Hockey, #1) 210495899
Zeke Cassidy needs a place to live. When he answers an advertisement for a roommate, he’s not sure what he is expecting except that it isn’t Carter Morgan III. Carter is unfriendly, aloof, and they have nothing in common; even so, the pair hit it off immediately and become friends.

Carter knows Zeke isn’t interested in being anything beyond friends and roommates. Unfortunately, knowing this doesn’t stop him from hoping for more, no matter how much he tries to convince himself it’s impossible.]]> 320 J.J. Mulder 1967245150 AJ 3 3.86 2024 Shots on Net (SCU Hockey, #1)
author: J.J. Mulder
name: AJ
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/10
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My Dark Jock: The Complete Series (My Dark Jock Series)]]> 215154717 “You hide it so well from everyone else. Your friends, the guys on the team. But you can’t hide it from me. I can see how much you need to be dominated. I own you, and I can do whatever I want with you, and you’ll love every second of it. Isn’t that right?�

Meet Malcolm Blackwood—tall, dark, brooding, and undeniably hot. The problem? He hates my guts.

I’m North Nolan, the star player on our football team and the golden boy of Langly College. I'm straight and can have any woman I want.

Or so I thought.

It all began with late-night accidental voyeurism, a video phone, and a pair of handcuffs. Now, I'm entangled in Malcolm Blackwood’s web—my enigmatic, brooding teammate. He introduces me to a world of dark pleasures, awakening a side of me I never knew existed. All he demands in return is complete possession of my body.

But Malcolm is more than just the wealthy, cold bully he appears to be. Once I get a taste of what lies beneath his cool facade, I can’t let go.

Malcolm may want my body, but I want his heart.

Who will break first?

**Warning- Contains very little football, and a lot of spice** My Dark Jock is a high heat romance omnibus containing the complete series of shorts. It is intended for mature audiences only. Please use the ‘look inside� functionand scroll to the front to check if this book is for you.]]> 416 Arden Long AJ 5 4.01 My Dark Jock: The Complete Series (My Dark Jock Series)
author: Arden Long
name: AJ
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/15
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lone and Lifeless (Worthless Boys, #3)]]> 75707078 Ant

Six months ago, my girlfriend convinced me to have a threesome with another guy. Had it been anyone other than Jasper Langdon, the night probably wouldn’t have ended with fists and blood. But it just had to be him. He’s made himself scarce since then, but now we have a class together. Jasper infuriates me, but I can’t be around him without remembering that night—the way he looked at me and how my mind went impossibly still for the first time.

Jazz

I’m one step closer to getting out from underneath my father’s thumb for good. The tattoo apprenticeship I’ve worked so hard for is right in front of me, but everything is falling apart. One failed threesome inexplicably altered my friendship with Val, and now it’s driven me and my best friend, Damon, apart. With no one in my corner, my self-destructive streak is about to get a whole lot worse, and Antonio Cabrera is to blame.

Lone and Lifeless is book three in the Worthless Boys trilogy and is a NA hate-to-love M/M romance. It can be read as a standalone. Please read the content warning before beginning as there are themes that may be triggering to some readers.]]> 320 Bailey Nicole AJ 4 4.00 2023 Lone and Lifeless (Worthless Boys, #3)
author: Bailey Nicole
name: AJ
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/11
date added: 2024/08/11
shelves:
review:

]]> Ben (Unexpected, #8) 199566323 And while I’ve always known my infatuation with Cash and Ford was meant to remain an unfulfilled dream, I never really lost hope.
Hope that the two men, twice my age, would ever see me as more than just a kid. As more than just their best friend’s son.
But I’m not a kid anymore, and at twenty-one, they’re about to see that little meek and quiet Ben is old enough for many things. Old enough to finally attract their attention. And frankly, old enough to know better. To know that these stolen touches and lustful trysts behind closed doors could never really amount to more.
Because everything will crumble as soon as Cash, Ford, and my father find out what I’ve been up to. That I’ve been keeping secrets from them all.
I can’t possibly keep them both.
I can’t keep them at all.
I know our love is impossible.
But, god help me, when has that ever stopped me?]]> 294 Cora Rose AJ 2 3.90 Ben (Unexpected, #8)
author: Cora Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/10
date added: 2024/08/11
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review:

]]> Look Closer 59316367 448 David Ellis 0399170928 AJ 0 to-read 4.17 2022 Look Closer
author: David Ellis
name: AJ
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Listen for the Lie 127279000 What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?

Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all and, if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. But after Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer.

It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life. But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast Listen for the Lie and its too-good looking host, Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one who did it.

The truth is out there, if we just listen.]]> 352 Amy Tintera 1250880319 AJ 0 to-read 4.07 2024 Listen for the Lie
author: Amy Tintera
name: AJ
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Mary 58724622
But lately, things have been changing inside Mary. Along with the hot flashes and body aches, she can’t look in a mirror without passing out, and the voices in her head have been urging her to do unspeakable things.

Fired from her job in New York, she moves back to her hometown, hoping to reconnect with her past and inner self. Instead, visions of terrifying, mutilated specters overwhelm her with increasing regularity and she begins auto-writing strange thoughts and phrases. Mary discovers that these experiences are echoes of an infamous serial killer.

Then the killings begin again.

Mary’s definitely going to find herself.]]> 405 Nat Cassidy 1250265231 AJ 0 to-read 3.78 2022 Mary
author: Nat Cassidy
name: AJ
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> FantasticLand 28695606
Presented as a fact-finding investigation and a series of first-person interviews, FantasticLand pieces together the grisly series of events. Park policy was that the mostly college-aged employees surrender their electronic devices to preserve the authenticity of the FantasticLand experience. Cut off from the world and left on their own, the teenagers soon form rival tribes who viciously compete for food, medicine, social dominance, and even human flesh. This new social network divides the ravaged dreamland into territories ruled by the Pirates, the ShopGirls, the Freaks, and the Mole People. If meticulously curated online personas can replace private identities, what takes over when those constructs are lost?

FantasticLand is a modern take on Lord of the Flies meets Battle Royale that probes the consequences of a social civilization built online.]]> 272 Mike Bockoven 1510709444 AJ 0 to-read 3.84 2016 FantasticLand
author: Mike Bockoven
name: AJ
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Oblivious 60289911 Isn’t it obvious we’re just best friends?

Adrian is my best friend. We live together, hang out, and he’s the best cake taste tester I could want.

Hugs are the norm, along with cuddles while watching horror films. I need someone to protect me during the scary bits, so why not Adrian? He’s almost a foot taller than me, so he makes a good armchair too.

Life is exactly the way I like it until Adrian’s sister drops a bombshell that leaves me questioning everything I think I know about myself and my straight best friend.

Can one kiss change everything? I’m about to find out.

Oblivious is an M/M best friends to lovers novella. It’s a light and fluffy love story, with a double bi-sexual awakening, a little bit of heat and no angst. None. Zip. Nadda. There’s meddling family members and two sweet best friends who are totally oblivious about how much they really care for each other. Oh, and cakes. There’s lots of cakes.
]]> 174 Colette Davison AJ 3 3.79 2022 Oblivious
author: Colette Davison
name: AJ
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/04
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Beautifully Devoted (Front Range University, #2)]]> 215055301
Cam
When I was ten, I made a promise. One that I’m still honoring a decade later, even though it means hiding a part of myself from the most important person in my life.

My best friend, Jagger.

And truthfully, burying that part of me is a small price to pay if it means nothing comes between us. I’m Jagger’s rock, the one stable thing in his life, and I’ve held that role for so long it’s now central to who I am. Which is why, after he sees something he shouldn’t and gets an idea that he wants my help with, I’m faced with the biggest decision of my life.

Saying yes could break me, but saying no could break us. I guess there isn’t really a choice, is there?

Jagger
There I was, innocently letting myself into my teammate’s room to search for some protein powder, when I came across a different type of protein altogether.

I learned two things that day. Knock first, and straight guys might be missing out.

As usual when I have an epiphany, I turn to my best friend Cam for help, and learn another two things. Neither of us is as straight as I thought, and I’m not the only one who needs protecting.

Hopefully I can be as strong for him as he’s been for me.

**Beautifully Devoted is a high-heat MM romance between two co-dependent best friends. It’s a medium angst story that includes hurt/comfort situations and a bi-awakening with lots of humor and spice. This is book two in a series of interconnected standalones.]]> 293 Michele Lenard 1955979340 AJ 3 4.07 2024 Beautifully Devoted (Front Range University, #2)
author: Michele Lenard
name: AJ
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/04
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves:
review:

]]> Appetite for Innocence 34655417 Be careful what you post online. Your next check-in might lead him right to you...

A serial rapist is kidnapping teenage girls. But he’s not interested in just any teenage girls—only virgins. He hunts them by following their status updates and check-ins on social media. Once he’s captured them, they’re locked away in his sound-proof basement until they’re groomed and ready. He throws them away like pieces of trash after he’s stolen their innocence. Nobody escapes alive.

Until Ella.

Ella risks it all to escape, setting herself and the other girls free. But only Sarah—the girl whose been captive the longest—gets out with her. The girls are hospitalized and surrounded by FBI agents who will stop at nothing to find the man responsible. Ella and Sarah are the key to their investigation, but Sarah’s hiding something and it isn’t long before Ella discovers her nightmare is far from over.

Fans of The Butterfly Garden and The Girl Before will devour Appetite for Innocence.

Warning: Contains sexual violence which may be a trigger for some readers.]]> 358 Lucinda Berry AJ 4 4.03 2017 Appetite for Innocence
author: Lucinda Berry
name: AJ
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/30
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves:
review:

]]> One More Time (Timeless #2) 203056499 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...]]> 254 Cora Rose AJ 4 to-read 4.10 One More Time (Timeless #2)
author: Cora Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/06
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Full Service (Franklin U 2, #5)]]> 209521459
I’m Dr. Silas Sinclair. Respectable educator and a man with his head on his shoulders. I don’t break the rules. I don’t cross boundaries. And I certainly don’t stalk students.

Or at least I didn’t until him.

Everly Winslow is bad news waiting to happen. He’s everything I should stay away from, but I can’t. The flirting. The taunting. It’s constant, and it’s too much.

I’m only human and it’s only a matter of time before I crack and give in to my desires. When all is said and done, will I be able to maintain my respectable career or will it all crash and burn?

]]> 252 Cora Rose AJ 3 3.85 2024 Full Service (Franklin U 2, #5)
author: Cora Rose
name: AJ
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/02
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves:
review:

]]> Mickey7 (Mickey7, #1) 57693457 After several deaths punctuating a series of all-too-brief life spans, a clone reassesses his purpose � and his humanity � in Edward Ashton’s Mickey7, “a unique blend of thought-provoking sci-fi concepts, farcical relationship drama, and exotic body horror� (New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin).

EXPENDABLE \ik’spen-d�-b’l\ n. A human clone utilized for dangerous work on space exploration missions. An Expendable’s personality and memories may be transferred intact to a new body if and when the current host dies.

Mickey Barnes is an Expendable, now on his seventh iteration, living � and dying � among his fellow colonists on the near-uninhabitable ice world of Niflheim. Some consider him immortal. Others believe he’s a soulless monstrosity. For the past nine years, he has been deployed for hazardous assignments and subjected to experiments that test the limits of human endurance, his humanity sacrificed for the greater good.

While on reconnaissance, Mickey7 is injured and left for dead, only to be saved by Niflheim’s native species, thought to be insentient by the colonists. Returning to base, Mickey7 meets his next generation, Mickey8. Neither clone is willing to recycle himself, but if anyone discovers multiple Mickeys exist, they’ll both be executed � and there won’t ever be a Mickey9.

But Mickey7’s premature twin isn’t his only secret. He hasn’t uploaded his memories in a month, leaving his clone in the dark about his near death and close encounter with the planet’s inhabitants. Mickey7 also doesn’t know how all of his previous selves died, and those he remembers have left him traumatized and mistrustful of the colony’s mission. A mission that has Mickey Barnes questioning his moral and mortal existence...again...and again....]]> 296 Edward Ashton 1250275032 AJ 3 3.74 2022 Mickey7 (Mickey7, #1)
author: Edward Ashton
name: AJ
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/27
date added: 2024/07/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1)]]> 40275288
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction � but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.]]> 845 Samantha Shannon 1408883457 AJ 5 4.18 2019 The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1)
author: Samantha Shannon
name: AJ
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/17
date added: 2024/07/28
shelves:
review:

]]>