4.5 Stars

I like the way you see the world through the movies.

I've been saying for years now how I'd love to see an early 2000's-inspired queer romcom made, & Timothy Janovksy delivered just that with Never Been Kissed, a joyous debut that made my heart soar.

This was friends-to-lovers perfection - Wren & Derick, our leading men, were just adorable, & I could totally relate to how much of a hopeless romantic Wren was throughout the book. I was beside myself waiting for their relationship to develop into more, I don't read this trope often enough but Janovksy really nailed it - the longing these two had for one another! I loved getting to see Wren explore his sexuality & the conversations around how our sexuality can evolve as we're introduced to identities we may more closely identify with. The demisexuality rep was so refreshing to see & shined a spotlight on a community that's not represented nearly enough in adult MM romance. Janovksy's love of film was so evident &, as a fellow movie buff, I just adored all of the references throughout & the entire storyline with saving Wiley's - drive-ins are truly magical places. I don't want to give anything away, but Alice's story in particular really struck a chord with me, I loved the role she played throughout the book & how she helped tie the entire narrative together. & also, I thought that the IG/Twitter threads Janovsky included were so clever, the comments from 420BlazinBoii had me cackling every time! I hope this isn't the last time we see this cast of characters, I'd LOVE to see Wren & Derick's story beyond the epilogue.

This was such a charming, heartwarming book through & through & I can't wait to see what Janovsky has up his sleeve next with You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince! Thank you so much Timothy Janovsky & Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review!

To anyone who has ever told me to pick up Chloe Liese's Bergman Brothers series - thank you. I completely understand the hype, I finished this book with the biggest smile on my face, just totally head over heels for Oliver & Gavin! I need more!

I'm a new reader to the Bergman world but had no trouble at all jumping right in - this can 100% be read as a standalone, Liese did a fantastic job of introducing the family & their respective partners. Enemies-to-lovers will always be my favorite trope & this ranks as one of the best I've read - the banter between Ollie & Gavin was everything! The dual POVs were really effective, I really understood & empathized with both Ollie & Gavin & the issues they were dealing with - Ollie with anxiety, Gavin with chronic pain & fear over the potential end of his career. As someone who deals with pretty severe anxiety myself, I appreciated that the tougher moments weren't glossed over yet were also handled with care. This brought me to tears more than once, for all of the bickering & fighting these two did there were some truly beautiful (& steamy!) moments here - it's been a while since I've tabbed a romance this much!

Spoiler

Seeing how each of them took on the role of caretaker with each other was just so beautiful. Gavin with Ollie on the plane, before their game, after that slur that other player threw at Ollie; Ollie with Gavin after his body gave out - ya'll, I wast just a mess, lol! The love between these two felt so real by the end.

& I have to say, I loved all of the side characters - from Coach Lexie, to the adorable group of seniors Gavin played cards with, to the Galaxy team members, to the entire Bergman clan, everyone really added something to this story that made it that much more special.

A friend recently said that this series is like a warm hug & I couldn't agree more. I can't wait to go back & read these from the beginning, & I'll be eagerly anticipating whoever's story is next! (Please, please, PLEASE be Viggo - pranksters with a heart of gold are my weakness

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 4.5 Stars

I finally did it - I finally picked up a Tessa Bailey book & ya'll, I'm obsessed! I'm so, so glad this was my introduction to her work, this was cute, fun, & really sexy - I need a Milo in my life!

I saw that this was Bailey's first time writing a MM romance & I have to say, she did an amazing job! I thought both Renner & Milo were written incredibly well, each of them had such distinct personalities & I loved seeing them mesh together. Their chemistry was off the charts, their banter was hilarious, & the steam - THE STEAM! That dressing room scene had me sweating!

Heartwarming, hilarious, sexy, & tender, Chip Pons' You & I, Rewritten encompasses the very best of what the romance genre has to offer - what an incredible debut!

Every so often I'll pick up a book & am reminded of why I love romance so much, & Chip's debut did exactly that. I absolutely adored Will & Graham, they had amazing chemistry & great banter (& a big yes to all of the open & honest communication) - & the sexual tension between those two! Chip didn't shy away from the steam at all, the anticipation & buildup to shenanigans finally happening made everything that much hotter. & while the steam was definitely top tier, this book had a huge emotional punch I wasn't expecting at all - there were many deep, poignant moments that brought me to tears more than once, I know how deeply personal those topics are to Chip & I think he handled the heavier issues with care & grace. I also really loved the emphasis on the importance of OwnVoices books within the publishing industry, a message more publishers should take note of. & of course, I've got to give a shoutout to Klair, the best friend all of us need in our lives - she was truly the best!

Chip - I'm so, so proud of you, you've created such a beautiful story, easily one of my favorite queer romances of the year. I'm so honored to call you a friend, the acknowledgements made me cry even harder than the book did. Cheers to you & to You & I, Rewritten, & I hope you have the happiest of pub days - I know you've got such a bright future as an author ahead of you!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

Sierra Simone - this was a masterpiece.

I haven't read too many second chance romances yet, but in my opinion everything about this was perfection, a slow burn that felt both epic & intimate in scope - we got enough backstory that it made the angst & longing between Aiden & Elijah feel believable & real without ever detracting from their relationship in the present. This was one of the best, & most honest, depictions of anxiety & depression I've ever come across, I saw so, so much of myself in Aiden & completely understood the reasons behind why he made certain choices. & I loved that we got so much of Elijah's POV, that really elevated this book above the rest of the series for me. The steam was top tier, as always, but this story is about so much more than sex. This was so deep & emotional, these conversations - about religion, sexuality, race, mental health - & the way they were approached was so beautiful & refreshing to see, especially in a romance revolving around queer men. Simone just writes men so incredibly well - these are all flawed yet relatable guys who strive to be better & do better for those around them (but Aiden is definitely my favorite Bell brother). & again, I repeat - Jacob Morgan, sir, you can read me anything & everything!

Saint was the entire reason I decided to pick up the Priest series & it didn't disappoint at all, this is going down as one of my all-time, all-time favorite queer romances. I'm sad that the series is done for now, but I can't wait to read Father Jordan & Ryan's stories!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

If you're like me & you've been itching to dive into some spooky season reads, you've got to pick up Danielle Valentine's How to Survive Your Murder - this is how you write a slasher!

My expectations going into this were high considering it's being marketed as a mix between two of my favorite horror franchises - Scream and Happy Death Day - & I'm happy to report that this blew me away! Fast-paced, fun, & vicious, Valentine didn't hold back whatsoever when it came to the body count & gore. If you're going to write a slasher, you've got to go for it, & let me tell ya'll, she went for it - can we give it up for there being actual stakes?! Some of the kills were just brutal! I absolutely loved Alice & her love of horror movies, the references in this were *chef's kiss* amazing, & I really enjoyed the different takes the book presented with the whole final girl trope. Valentine did such a great job of keeping you on your toes as to who the killer is, & while my suspicions were proven correct, I will say this - I did not see that ending coming whatsoever, seriously holy shit! That's what really elevated this story to the next level for me. & I've got to give a shoutout for our audiobook narrator, Valerie Rose Lohman, she did such an amazing job & gave a highly believable performance.

All in all, this was a horror movie lover's dream, a really fun & original take on the slasher genre that'll be perfect for Halloween! & thank you so much for the free audiobook @prhaudio!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

This is the kind of book that's good for your soul - low-angst, playful, romantic, & steamy, my first Riley Hart book is now an instant favorite & I'm all in for the Franklin University series!

If ya'll don't know, enemies to lovers is my favorite romance trope &, in my opinion, it was done to perfection here. Now, Brax & Ty don't hate hate each other, it's more biting & witty flirtatious banter, but I absolutey ate it up - the way these two would read each other!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 4.5 Stars

If you're looking for a fast-paced, fun, salacious story that'll get you out of the real world for a few hours, look no further than Sara Cate's Gravity - this was escapism at its finest!

This was my very first Sara Cate book & I'm an instant fan! I was immediately pulled in, this setup is wild ya'll - all sorts of shenanigans go down on Del Rey! Cate's writing was fantastic, I loved that each of the three main characters had a really distinct voice & were dealing with their own set of issues. I wasn't expecting this to examine loss as much as it did & I was pleasantly surprised, it was interesting seeing how grief played into Zara, Nash & Alistair's decision-making throughout. The steam in this was absolutely next-level, one scene in particular really had me clutching my pearls

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

Free Fall was the perfect conclusion to the Wilde Boys duo, a breathtaking story that was equal parts deeply romantic & steamy, Sara Cate really knows how to write a damn good book ya'll!

It's near impossible to talk about this story without slight spoilers for the end of Gravity & I highly, highly suggest starting there to get the full scope of things, so proceed with caution! I had complicated feelings about Nash in Gravity, but I absolutely fell in love with him throughout Free Fall. Cate's depiction of Nash coming to terms with his sexuality was honest, raw, & not always pretty, but it felt incredibly real, especially given he's still dealing with the loss of his brother & Zara choosing Alistair over him. & I loved that both Hanna & Ellis were equally as complex - no one was cookie cutter perfect here & it made for such a beautiful, unique dynamic. This was my first MMF romance & I just adored how these three really completed each other, Hanna really being the glue that held everyone together. & god I just loved Ellis, huge shoutout to his narrator, Aiden Snow - holy shit ya'll, HIS VOICE! Deep, raspy, sexy, to say I was shook when he started speaking would be an understatement

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

Ashley Winstead, I don't know how you do it - holy shit, this book!

Right at the outset, I'll say I think it's best to go into this as blindly as possible but also extremely important to check trigger warnings - this was very sexually dark & violent, Ashley definitely succeeded in making me highly uncomfortable, which isn't an easy feat. Just like with In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, The Last Housewife was expertly plotted & not a single stone was left unturned by the end - Ashley is an incredible writer, this was an absolute masterclass in how to build suspense (when I tell ya'll it felt like I was holding my breath the last few hours of the audiobook, I'm not kidding). This story terrified me in more ways than one because of how timely it felt, the themes of misogyny, patriarchal values & "traditional" gender roles being hot topics we see constantly debated in our own society today - taking a look at the mindsets of many of the men currently in power makes everything all the more frightening. I really enjoyed the true crime angle & how we had snippets of the podcast throughout the book, Jamie was such a standout character for me. & of course, Shay - Ashley is so good at writing complex female protagonists & Shay was no exception; huge shoutout for the audiobook narrator, Alexis Van Aiken, she really brought Shay to life & nailed all of the emotion throughout, making the overarching message all the more impactful for me.

This was disturbing & thrilling, heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful, & truly one hell of a story, I'm convinced that Ashley can do no wrong - highly recommend picking this up if you haven't yet!