lila �'s Updates en-US Tue, 29 Apr 2025 22:13:12 -0700 60 lila �'s Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Comment290057759 Tue, 29 Apr 2025 22:13:12 -0700 <![CDATA[lila � made a comment on lila ⋆’s status]]> /user_status/show/1039499930 lila � made a comment on lila ⋆’s status

Villainous_QQueerXX wrote: "I'm glad you are enjoying it ☺️"

🩵🩵 ]]> Comment290030850 Tue, 29 Apr 2025 08:02:47 -0700 <![CDATA[lila � commented on lila �'s review of If We Were Villains]]> /review/show/5113381929 lila �'s review of If We Were Villains
by M.L. Rio

ella wrote: "agree !!!"

🫡 ]]> Comment290021297 Tue, 29 Apr 2025 02:23:03 -0700 <![CDATA[lila � commented on lila �'s review of I Hope This Doesn’t Find You]]> /review/show/6052608558 lila �'s review of I Hope This Doesn’t Find You
by Ann Liang

@Leiii, i realize that, hence why i mentioned it in my previous comment! i don't think the novella was in the works when this was being written, though, and since this is a standalone anyway, each of the mcs should have the character depth worthy of that. ]]> UserStatus1039499930 Fri, 04 Apr 2025 03:29:32 -0700 <![CDATA[ lila � is 67% done with Ship of Magic ]]> Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb lila � is 67% done with <a href="/book/show/45100.Ship_of_Magic">Ship of Magic</a>.
lila � wrote: "Do you know this piece? 'When I am parted from you, The dawn light touches my face with your hands.' "
"I don't know," Etta breathed hesitantly. "It sounds like a bit of a poem, perhaps I never had much time for the learning of poetry."
"You have no need to learn what you already are," he said quietly. He did not try to disguise the fondness in his voice.

🥹🥹 ]]> Comment288546226 Thu, 20 Mar 2025 20:39:24 -0700 <![CDATA[lila � commented on lila �'s review of Crush]]> /review/show/7388696429 lila �'s review of Crush
by Richard Siken

Warda wrote: "*adds to tbr* such a beautiful review! <3"

thanks, warda!! cannot wait to see what you think when you get around to reading it! <3 ]]> Review7388696429 Tue, 11 Mar 2025 12:31:24 -0700 <![CDATA[lila � added 'Crush']]> /review/show/7388696429 Crush by Richard Siken lila � gave 4 stars to Crush (Paperback) by Richard Siken
I made this place for you. A place for to love me.
If this isn’t a kingdom then I don’t know what is.

hauntingly gorgeous. i was violently sobbing in the middle of the night because of just how achingly lovely this was.

the recurring motif of highways & cars & violence & dingy motels really stood out to me. i adored the central theme of this � the concept of tender brutality in love. this collection had so much Yearning and an almost frantic, feverish intensity to it; incredibly messy yet cohesive in how similar the ideas of different poems were.

Is that too much to expect? That I would name the stars for you? That I would take you there?

my favs were: a primer for the small weird loves, i had a dream about you, saying your names, wishbone, and snow & dirty rain, but you are jeff is also immensely special to me.

You’re in a car with a beautiful boy, and he won’t tell you that he loves you, but he loves you. And you feel like you’ve done something terrible, like robbed a liquor store, or swallowed pills, or shoveled yourself a grave in the dirt, and you’re tired.
You’re in a car with a beautiful boy, and you’re trying not to tell him that you love him, and you’re trying to choke down the feeling, and you’re trembling, but he reaches over and he touches you, like a prayer for which no words exist, and you feel your heart taking root in your body, like you’ve discovered something you don’t even have a name for.

this was like going ‘round in circles, like siken peered into my soul while writing this (“love, for you, is larger than the usual romantic love. it’s like a religion. it’s terrifying� or “i take the parts that i remember and stitch them back together to make a creature that will do what i say or love me back� or “sorry about the blood in your mouth. i wish it was mine� or “you said i could have anything i wanted, but i just couldn’t say it out loud�), like spilled ink, like a bruise pressed on too hard, like a half-forgotten dream, like you swallow my heart and flee but i want it back now, baby. i want it back. ]]> Review7262033653 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 22:44:58 -0800 <![CDATA[lila � added 'The Man Who Loved Cole Flores']]> /review/show/7262033653 The Man Who Loved Cole Flores by K.A. Merikan lila � gave 4 stars to The Man Who Loved Cole Flores (Dig Two Graves #1) by K.A. Merikan
bookshelves: a-2025-favorites, category-new-adult-and-adult, genre-contemporary, genre-dark-check-trigger-warnings, genre-fiction-historical, genre-romance, rep-achillean-romance, rep-lgbtqiap-plus-characters, trope-forbidden-taboo, trope-friends-to-lovers, trope-morally-grey-characters, trope-possessiveness-codependency, �-3-ٲ-ڳܲ, �-4-ٲ-DZ
Zeb shoved at his chest. “He asked you a question, boy! Is this piece of shit your woman?� he mocked, an incredulous grin dancing across features already twisting with disgust.
This couldn’t be happening.
The black eyes that had had so much softness for Ned went hard as steel, with jagged edges to draw Zeb’s blood. Cole rose, squared his shoulders, and faced both Zeb and Tom with his cheeks on fire.
“Ned O’Leary is my man. You told me yourself, Tom, that I shall have whatever I want to take. And I want him. I found him. I took him. And he’s mine.�

such beautiful, sparkling, engrossing prose. this book was brimming with uncertainty and exploration and was chock-full of development when it came to the progression of the romance between the mcs. they didn’t have the ideal situation for love, what with ned out to betray the gotham boys and keeping it a huge secret from cole while cole and ned were outlaws, but i savored every little moment they had � like them being each other’s firsts (for cole, with a man, for ned, ever). cole presenting ned with a bouquet of wildflowers to “romance� him. them being each other’s sweethearts. the “snake bite�. ned blowing cole a kiss “for fun�. watching the stars together. them saving each other’s lives numerous times. they’re so adorable pls. cole is my favorite (hey, i can’t resist a guy who’s that loyal and sweet-talks/flirts so much!!) but i did love ned’s moral greyness and how determined he was to get his revenge lol.

They meant nothing yet enraged Ned to the core, because Cole was Ned’s sweetheart, no matter how sappy that was. He was respite in a world filled with betrayal and cruelty, a glimmer of honesty and real emotion.

i also loved how realistic the pain was when cole just pushed his cock into ned’s asshole without any prep 😭 like people!! have you ever heard of oil/lubricant used for anal sex!!! i loved that scene where ned went to a brothel to ask how anal sex works to please his wife, cole � uh, colleen. the way the woman immediately caught on to the fact that cole was his partner when he just rushed in too lmao i was cackling please.

“I know who I want. And it’s you.�

i just want them to have escaped to california, to see the ocean, to let go of their past lives and simply be who they are with each other. no explanations. they yearned for that and i do too.

“My heart feels so tight. As if you were holding it,� he whispered.

a huge thank you to dan for the recommendation, and afy for the buddy read!! this was such a fun as well as intense ride, and i can’t wait to follow their journey into part two. ]]> Review5980909298 Fri, 24 Jan 2025 22:20:46 -0800 <![CDATA[lila � added 'Olive Juice']]> /review/show/5980909298 Olive Juice by T.J. Klune lila � gave 5 stars to Olive Juice (Kindle Edition) by T.J. Klune
bookshelves: a-m-o-r-t-e-n-t-i-a, a-2023-favorites, �-ܰ-dzڴǰ, b-novellas-and-short-stories, ୨୧-ٳ-ܰ-ٳ-𲹳-ɲ, �-ܱپٱ-Ա-ٰԲ-dzܱ, category-new-adult-and-adult, genre-contemporary, genre-dark-check-trigger-warnings, genre-fiction-realistic, rep-achillean-romance, rep-lgbtqiap-plus-characters, rep-mental-illness-or-disability, trope-hurt-comfort, trope-idiots-in-love, ʚɞ----ٳٱ-𲹰-dzܳ, �-ɱ-Ա𱹱--dzܳ-Ǵ-ٲ, �--ڲ--dz, ౨ৎ--ɲԳ-ٴ-ܲ-ɰ-ٳ
if i poured acid all over myself it would hurt less ]]> Review7236423200 Wed, 22 Jan 2025 22:35:29 -0800 <![CDATA[lila � added 'The Truths We Burn']]> /review/show/7236423200 The Truths We Burn by Monty Jay lila � gave 4 stars to The Truths We Burn (The Hollow Boys, #2) by Monty Jay
bookshelves: a-2025-favorites, category-new-adult-and-adult, genre-contemporary, genre-dark-check-trigger-warnings, genre-romance, rep-straight-romance, trope-forbidden-taboo, trope-morally-grey-characters, trope-second-chance, trope-possessiveness-codependency, �-4-ٲ-DZ
to think just the other day i was complaining about how much i hated second chance romances... then this book came along.

“i’ll always be there. always. no matter what happens, you will always have me.�
“because you decided to keep me?�
“because you were the only one worthy of keeping.�

the dynamic between these two!!! god!!! rooksage my precious people 💝💝 they’re truly opposites and they crashed and burned but fuck i adored them together. they were such a perfect match for each other. bad boy x ice queen hits so different. this was such an angsty mess but i was here for it.

“no tears for boys. we are too pretty for that.�

sage donahue my beloved. they could never make me hate you. prickly ice queens who’re putting on a facade when they’re actually the softest inside have a very special place in my heart. i admired her so much. the way she snips at people, the way she threatens them, the way she’s so fucking brave and loyal to the ones she cares about!!!! i could go on but i’ll stop here or i never will.

“can i keep you?�

rook van doren. nine inches and a piercing and all, i could take you 😋 (jk my man is LOYAL ok)
the way he felt like he didn’t deserve to be happy :( the way he felt he was unworthy of sage :( my baby. pyromaniacs deserve love too!

also the fucked up sibling relationship between rose and sage 😭 my kryptonite. the way sage tried protecting rose in her own way while being a bitch to her face? the way they cuddled in bed reassuring each other? we only caught glimpses of it but I’M A GONER.

the sex scenes weren’t my favorite in the present because it felt needlessly cruel to me (especially one particular hate-sex scene @ around 65%) but i’m also very sensitive so ymmv 😭 i do even otherwise dislike name-calling during sex (“slut�, “whore�, etc.) unless it’s discussed and agreed upon from before so. yeah. i did eat up every single crumb of their relationship development though and i loved how rook was tormented by sage even while “hating� her.

anyways. brb crying over the matching soulmate scars they shared 🥹🥹 (over the fact that rook scarred himself to be hers 😭) ]]> Review7228799664 Mon, 20 Jan 2025 22:55:10 -0800 <![CDATA[lila � added 'A Love Most Fatal']]> /review/show/7228799664 A Love Most Fatal by Kath Richards lila � gave 4 stars to A Love Most Fatal (Morelli Family #1) by Kath Richards
“Her smile is everything to me, like it might make my brain melt the way her cheeks push up her eyelids and she tries to keep her lips closed.�

when he’s the nerdy math teacher who wants to be her husband & take care of the kids & cook for her while she’s the hot mob boss >>>

the “why is she so pretty while she’s yelling at me?� had me shrieking. nate served with all the simp energy i wanted.

the ending disappointed me in a couple ways, but i don’t care because this was such a genuinely fun read!

all in all, a successful buddy read with my fav buket 💝 manifesting many more this year 🕯️🕯️🕯� ]]>