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Apr 1, 2025

Top 5 Tuesday: Books that Made Me Laugh

 

Top 5 Tuesday: Books that Made Me Laugh

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday! As it is April Fool's Day, I thought it would be fun to do something somewhat realted


This week's prompt is..... books that made me laugh


All of these books are most definitely silly at times so if I laughed, the book counts. Without further ado, here are my picks!


  1. The P*ssy Next Door by Amy Award
  2. The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy
  3. Blind Date with a #HOCKEYBOY by Ariana St. Claire
  4. We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald
  5. On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young


Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁


See you all next Tuesday for another (admittedly less queer) top 5!

Mar 31, 2025

March 2025 Reads

March 2025 Reads 

This month I read 15 books 

These books were 93% fiction

They were 13% physical, 47% digital, and 40% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.28 stars

My longest reading day was the 28th


The Books

The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy

Just Complicated by Evie Sterling

Overturned by Lamar Giles

➽ A beta read (sorry can't discuss it)

Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger

A Mark On My Soul by Jordon Greene

Never Lie by Frieda McFadden

➽ Shot for Mercy by Shae Ruby (no review because this book is getting rewritten)

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

Hired By My Rich Highland Husband by Beatrice Bradshaw

About That Kiss by Harper Bliss

Again!! Volume 1 by Mitsurou Kubo

➽ Again!! Volume 2 by Mitsurou Kubo

The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford

The P*ssy Next Door by Amy Award

What This Week: March 24th - 30th

What This Week: March 24th-30th

I'll be honest, March is always really difficult in my personal life every year for reasons I'm not going to share here. As a result, I read less, and that's okay. I'm still getting reading done and being sure to fill my time with love and relaxation whenever I can

What books I finished:

  • Shot For Mercy by Shae Ruby
  • Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
  • Hired By My Rich Highland Husband by Beatrice Bradshaw
  • The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford
  • About That Kiss by Harper Bliss
  • Again!! (volume 1 & 2) by Mitsurou Kubo

What books I started:

  • The P*ssy Next Door by Amy Award

What I'm listening to:

  • My spring playlist (if anyone wants the link I will share it)

What I'm watching:

  • Abbot Elementary season 1 & 2
  • No Hard Feelings

What I'm playing:

  • Traveler's Rest
  • Business Cat
  • Genshin Impact

The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4/5 ⭐

Tropes

 Sports romance

Romcom

Secret relationship

Found family

Forced proximity


Blurb

April Baird is determined to finish an Ironman—even if it is 140.6 miles of misery in the form of swimming, cycling, and running. The distance would be daunting enough, but April is certain she has an Ironman curse. What else could explain the events that have caused her to DNF the last three years? Now, her coach has even bailed.

When Gabriel Torres discovers his rival, April’s former coach, has dropped her mid-season, he has a choice to make: stick with the plan and a team that’s sure to win or add April to his roster. She’s a risk—one that may cost him his chance at making the dream team of his coaching company, and yet, he sees a spark in her—something he’d pay good money to bottle and add to his other athletes’ electrolytes.

As training heats up, their relationship slips from professional to casual to something else entirely, and they soon realize there is more at stake than just a race.


Best Quote From the Book

“Years of evolutionary coding told me to jump him and continue the bloodline."


My Thoughts

    I already knew from the first page this was going to be a 5-star and I was so right! I don't know what magic you dump into your stories Harriet, but never stop because I will read and love every single one. 

    This paragraph is solely dedicated to appreciating the magesty of Harriet and her writing. This is her second published book. You read that correctly; she's only published one book before this. I can truly say that I have never read such a talented author who doesn't have a large back catalogue. Both books are absolutely perfect, zero complaints. She is just that good, y'all. A bonus thank you because she is also one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She shows so much gratitude to her street team (Team Trouble) to go as far as weaving in a nod to us in this book. Even with the shout-out, I wouldn't lie about liking this book; that's not the reviewer I am. 

    Now, back to the review. Okay I will admit I do have one complaint. I wanted even more of the adorable pup, Johnson. You cannot introduce such an adorable character and not include him on nearly every page. In all seriousness, he is wonderful, and better find his way into other books in this series. 

    Harriet did a fantastic job of implementing the concept of wandering minds. The characters' internal tangents felt very realistic and naturally propelled the story. Seeing them try too hard to control their thoughts and utterly fail was relatable in an endearing and entertaining way. 

    She also tackled grief beautifully. April is still grieving over her mother, as grief isn't linear. I loved how it shaped her character arc but didn't take it over entirely. As someone who has dealt with grief (as I am sure most of us have), this portrayal felt like a warm hug telling me it would all be okay. April doesn't succeed in spite of her grief; she succeeds because of how much she cares about who she lost. I cannot convey how much that seemingly subtle difference means. 

    Oh man, the ending of this book brought me to tears for sure. For good reasons, I promise. That said, I will not elaborate to avoid spoilers, just know that it will make you feel. You will feel sad, proud, and elated all at once if your experience is at all similar to mine.

    This book does have open-door spicy scenes. If that is not your thing, I do not recommend this series. 

    I created a playlist for both books in this series. You can find book 1 here. You can find this book's playlist here. If you want an immersive reading experience or just want to relive the magic of these books, I highly recommend. 

    I received this book as part of Harriet's street team. My review is honest and voluntary

Mar 26, 2025

What This Week March 17th - 23rd

 

 What This Week: March 17th-23rd

Welcome back to What This Week! Did you miss me? I certainly missed all of y'all! I took a break from these because I wasn't really consuming anything due to some personal life circumstances. This week I've consumed enough that it feels worth discussing. 

What books I finished:

  • Pen Pal by J.T. Gessinger
  • A Mark on My Soul by Jordon Greene
  • Never Lie by Frieda McFadden

What books I started:

  • Shot For Mercy by Shae Ruby
  • Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

What I'm listening to:

  • A lot of Chase Atlantic

What I'm watching:

  • Fire Country
  • The White Lotus

What I'm playing:

  • Traveler's Rest
  • Business Cat

Mar 18, 2025

Top 5 Tuesday: LGBTQ+ Romances

Top 5 Tuesday: Books Want to Reread Someday

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday! I'm here and feeling queer so let's bring that beautiful energy to this week's prompt. 


This week's prompt is..... LGBTQ+ romances


All different kinds of LGBTQ+ representation are here. These are all books I have read this year. I will outline what representation each one has so if you are looking for a specific identity, you can find it. Just keep in mind while the MCs in all of these are queer, some of the listed representations are side characters.

#1 has gay, pansexual, lesbian, and drag queen

#2 has gay, trans, and pansexual

#3 has gay and lesbian

#4 has gay and bisexual

#5 has gay

  1. Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia
  2. Conflict Mediation by DC Emerson
  3. Runnin' No More by GT Dipe
  4. Cross My Heart by Shae Ruby
  5. When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao


Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁


See you all next Tuesday for another (admittedly less queer) top 5!

Mar 3, 2025

February 2025 Reads

  February 2025 Reads

This month I read 15 books 

These books were 80% fiction

They were 0% physical, 40% digital, and 60% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.1 stars

My longest reading day was February 2nd


The Books

Will the Drama Ever End? by Karyl McBride

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

It Started With a Kiss by Clare Lydon

Runnin' No More by G.T. Dípè

The Wiener Across the Way by Amy Award

Unthinkable by Dani Galliaro

The Party by Natasha Peterson

On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald

Cross My Heart by Shae Ruby

The Anaconda Downstairs by Amy Award

➽ The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg

➽ Blind Date with a #HOCKEYBOY by Ariana St. Claire

What This Week: February 24 - March 2

 What This Week: February 24 - March 2


How has another week passed already? I truly do not know but welcome back! I'm happy to have you here. I was able to accomplish a bit more this week, but I can't say the same for next week, so enjoy the long list for this time!

What books I finished:

What books I started:

  • Scoring Grey by L.A Fero
  • Overturned by Lamar Giles

What I'm listening to:

  • A lot of random new-to-me songs
  • Rotten Mango podcast
  • So Close to What by Tate McRae album

What I'm watching:

  • Secondhand Lions
  • Paddington 3 (in a theater with only my partner and I, it was so cool! I also highly recommend all of the Paddington movies for a delight)
  • Sixteen Candles
  • Little
  • The Secret of N.I.H.M.

What I'm playing:

  • Genshin Impact
  • Office Cat
  • A lot of word puzzles

Feb 25, 2025

What This Week February 17-23

 

 What This Week: February 17 - 23


Welcome to the second What This Week. It was a bit of a big week in my personal life so I haven't been consuming quite as much (I got a new job). That said, I truly love what I have been consuming

What books I finished:

  • On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young
  • Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

What books I started:

  • We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald
  • The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy
  • The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg

What I'm listening to:

  • Even more of Short n' Sweet (Deluxe) by Sabrina Carpenter

What I'm watching:

  • Genshin Impact content

What I'm playing:

  • Genshin Impact
  • Office Cat

Top 5 Tuesday: Books I Want to Reread Someday

 

 Top 5 Tuesday: Books Want to Reread Someday

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday. Everyone be proud, I'm here two weeks in a row. Even if it is pretty late, I got y'all

This week's prompt is..... books I want to reread someday

Some books are just so obvious that it will be a great time again in the future. My hope with all rereads is that I would gain something new by rereading it.

Let's break down the why for each of these...

#1 is the only thriller I thought could be cool to reread. I feel like it would be a very different but worthwhile experience to read it again a while down the line while having the context of what everyone in the story actually did. 

#2 is the start of a series that is written by possibly one of my favorite humans ever. That is one big reason I wanna go back to the beginning someday and experience the magic once again. I also find the MMC to be very similar to my partner in some ways so it would be fun to read it with that in mind.

#3 is chock full of helpful advice that is gonna be relevant throughout my life. I think it would be good to circle back whenever my life circumstances change a good bit to prioritize the advice that will help me at the time. 

With #4 I just really want to annotate it because I didn't the first time and kinda regret that.

#5 on the list is actually a book I would be reading for the 4th time because it is just that impactful for me. It was the series that got me back into reading for fun so I gotta give it some love every few years.
  1. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
  2. Something Lost by Erin FitzGerald
  3. How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis
  4. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
  5. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes


Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁


See you all next Tuesday for another top 5!

Feb 18, 2025

January 2025 Reads

 January 2025 Reads

This month I read 15 books 

These books were 80 % fiction (my lowest ever)

They were 0% physical, 33% digital, and 67% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.1 stars

My longest reading day was January 3rd


The Books

Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica

➽  The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

Good Lookin' Cookin' by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George

Streams and Schemes by Rebecca Kinkade

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia

➽ So You Want a #BOOKBOYFRIEND? by Ariana St. Claire

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeny

Unapologetically ADHD by Peter D. Wright & Nikki Kinzer

Bunny Season by Bindi Kennedy

 The Manicurist's Daughter by Susan Lieu

Conflict Mediation by D.C. Emerson

Top 5 Tuesday: Books I Never Reviewed

 Top 5 Tuesday: Books I Never Reviewed

Welcome to Top 5 Tuesday, a new series I hope to start here on my blog. I've seen it floating around and thought it would be a lot of fun to give something other than wrap-ups and reviews.

This week's prompt is..... books I never reviewed

An important caveat to this is that these are books I didn't review on social media as I do post reviews on Storygraph and Goodreads for every book I read. Without further ado... here's my list

  1. Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver
  2. Hexed by Emily McIntire
  3. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Holang
  4. Lies & Weddings by Kevin Kwan
  5. Kill Joy by Holly Jackson


Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁


See you all next Tuesday for another top 5!

What This Week February 10 - 16

 What This Week: February 10 - 16


Welcome to the first ever What This Week. This will be my chance to keep you all updated on what I'm consuming. Perhaps we have some things in common?

What books I finished:

  • The Wiener Across the Way by Amy Award
  • Unthinkable by Dani Galliaro
  • The Party by Natasha Peterson

What books I started:

  • On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

What I'm listening to:

  • Short n' Sweet (Deluxe) by Sabrina Carpenter

What I'm watching:

  • Ghost in the Shell 2.0
  • Paddington 2

Jan 24, 2025

Free for a Limited Time

 


I am very happy to announce that A Deal for a Kiss by Willow Winters is free for a limited time!

You can grab your copy here

Blurb

Nothing could hide her from me. 
The darkness is everywhere and it moves about in the mortal realm…. And then there’s her.  Bright and so easily seen.
Mine. 
She calls to me like I prayed to the Gods she would. 
I should feel guilt for what I’m going to do.  What I must do.
She doesn’t remember, but I do.  She belongs to me.
I will claim her and bring her to the underworld as mine. 
At all costs… nothing will keep me from what belongs to me.
 
A Deal for a Kiss is a novella prequel to His in the Dark, but can be read as a complete standalone.

Jan 15, 2025

Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.25/5 ⭐

Tropes

 Matchmaker

Friends to lovers

Small town

Miscommunication

 Grumpy x sunshine


Blurb

In this opposites-attract YA rom-com inspired by Emma, a failed romantic gesture puts a damper on a queer teen bookseller’s summer of book matching and matchmaking until a handsome lifeguard and romance skeptic waltzes into his bookstore. Sometimes you get a second chance at happily ever after when you least expect it...

Curvaceous, clever, and an avid reader, seventeen-year-old Bobby Ashton never misses a main character moment. So when it comes to asking out his crush, he plans a romantic gesture grand enough to go down in local history. Unfortunately, though, his extensive knowledge of every rom-com trope ever doesn’t prepare him for how tragically he misreads the situation. Suddenly Bobby’s very public romantic gesture turns into an ordeal so embarrassing it could be a villain origin story.

Having masterfully shattered every plan for his perfect summer before college, Bobby’s last resort is working at his uncle’s sleepy bookstore. Soon, Bobby is expertly recommending books for customers to perfectly cure what ails them. Attempting to rebound after a breakup? There’s a book for that. Trying to tame your crochety coworker? There’s a book for that too. Then a plot twist Bobby never saw coming walks through the door in the form of Luke, an unfairly attractive and staunchly anti-romantic lifeguard.

Bobby’s blossoming connection with Luke reminds him of some of his favorite tropes: grumpy sunshine, quippy banter, and even forced proximity. But after his last romantic disaster, should Bobby use all the tricks in his arsenal to turn Luke’s head? Or is he misreading all the signs again? Do grand gestures really need to be so…grand?


LGBTQ+ Representation

5/5 🌈

This one has all of the rep you could possibly ask for. It has gay, lesbian, pansexual, drag queen, and ally representation. Every queer character in this book is unapologetically queer and it is a notable part of their character. Some are much more open about their identity while others are more quiet about it which reflects real life quite well. 

My Thoughts

This story was so camp which definitely grew on me as the story went on. At first, I will admit, Bobby's blunders felt like a lot and were a bit of a cringe factor but Coccia let the rest of the story unfold in such a way that it totally made up for it and made for a surprisingly well-rounded character. 

Bobby went from a bumbling idiot to someone who sometimes actually looks before he leaps. The genuine character development is what made this story special. I was genuinely nervous at first that the only redeeming quality about him would be how purely camp he was. Luke was a true catalyst for him to grow simply by showing him another perspective. Their eventual communication was genuine and refreshing. 

Seeing an unapologetically gay and plus-sized MC was refreshing. I hope this openness and pride continue throughout more releases this year. It can make many queer people feel more seen in literature. 

My favorite character by far in this story was Gladys (the OG, read the story and you will know what I mean). Her wit and quips towards Bobby were the best. Seeing her slowly warm up was the best. Characters like her are one of my favorite microtropes. 

I received this book as an arc from Hear Our Voices. My review is honest and voluntary.

December 2024 Reads

  December 2024 Reads 

This month I read 18 books 

These books were 100 % fiction

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and thriller

My average rating was 3.54 stars


The Books

➽ Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutano

➽ Scout Elf Snowed In by Wynter Ryan

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Love in the Scottish Christmas Village by Beatrice Bradshaw

➽ All I Want for Christmas is My Brother's Best Friend by Wynter Ryan

Swingers by Marnie Vinge

If You're Reading This by Kiersten Modglin

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

Hexed by Emily McIntire

Scout Elf in Love by Wynter Ryan

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

➽ Identity by Nora Roberts

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver

Dec 1, 2024

November 2024 Reads

 November 2024 Reads 


This month I read 21 books 

These books were 95% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and thriller

My average rating was 4.24 stars


The Books

➽ Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Just Friends by Evie Sterling

➽ Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

➽ ADHD is Awesome by Penn & Kim Holderness

➽ The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers

➽ Beach Read by Emily Henry

➽ A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Black

➽ This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

➽ The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

➽ Kill Joy by Holly Jackson

The Something Smutty Book Club by Erin FitzGerald

➽ The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin

Room One Hundred and Thirteen by Wynter Ryan

➽ Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

Puck After Puck by Wynter Ryan

➽ The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

➽ Thier Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

➽ Lights Out by Navessa Allen

➽ The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Christmas List by Maren Moore

Merry with a Tattoo Artist by Wynter Ryan

Reading is Political

 


This was originally posted on my Instagram but I thought it was important to include it here

Trust me, I would love it if this could be an “agree to disagree” situation but it isn't. This is a matter of basic human rights, literally life or death. I am terrified of who is now in a position of power again in this country. You “can’t handle a woman president” grow up. It is 2024, the world needs to be past this. I REFUSE to go back. It is not something to sit down and take. Stay loud my friends, refuse to be ignored. Reading is polticial. Full stop. Who you support and what you read is political. Banning books is political. So yes, this is incredibly relevant to my platform. The censorship needs to stop. All people deserve to see themselves represented in literature. I am going to feel pure rage and grief. I may not fully be a woman, but the feminine rage is strong. I am scared for women, children, LGBTQ+ people, BIPOC individuals, union workers, teachers, people with disabilities, and so many more marginalized groups that are now in danger. Please know that I love you and will send all of the support I possibly can at this time. We will get through this, please don’t stop fighting. We are allowed to feel all the feelings. We are mourning. It’s okay to not be okay. If you support someone who doesn’t value everyone, please get off my page. I am a safe space and your viewpoint is not. You voted for racism, homophobia, sexism, etc. I do not respect that choice.

Nov 14, 2024

The Something Smutty Book Club by Erin FitzGerald Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

 Silly novella

Found family

HEA


Synopsis

The last thing anyone should have allowed Mathilda Cooper to do was start a book club. The town's librarian and notorious man fiend has made it her mission in life to find the smuttiest, filthiest books in print and the women attending are starting to wonder if it's entirely for shock value.

Every other Wednesday night, the women in the small community of the Wolf Mountain Ranchers meet to talk books--and listen to Mathilda run her mouth. Catch up with Emily, Genesis, Lana, Ashley, Jenna, Clara, Talia, and Morgan in this fun collection of Wednesday night revelations.


My Thoughts

This novella was just a further reminder of how in love I am with these characters and this series as a whole. While I am very sad to see it go, I am also so happy with how it was wrapped up. It truly did such an amazing job at helping the plotlines of the main characters and background characters feel settled. While I will always be down for more of this series, I am also quite happy with this as the series conclusion.

This was such a perfectly silly goofy good time seeing everyone in the town come together. I really applaud Erin for creating character relationships in a small town that are genuinely interwoven but didn't end up where every character somehow automatically knew every other character just because they are from the same area. I really can see all of these ladies having a fun time in a book club together and most of their men reaping the benefits of their reading materials content.

This paragraph is to Erin and only Erin, everyone else can scroll past. Erin, babes you did it again! You absolutely knocked it out of the park. I am always amazed at how I love your writing more and more with every single book. I would give this more than 5 stars if possible honestly.  Thank you for blessing us with such beautiful characters! You know I am a ride-or-die for your writing and will shout from the rooftops about how everyone needs to experience the magic in your stories. 

You absolutely need to read the rest of the series before picking this one up but when you do it will be so worth it. It truly felt like coming home and being wrapped in a warm hug. Even one page in, there were no punches pulled with the silliness. Coop will always be Coop (iykyk). So many moments in this book pulled at my heartstrings to see everyone growing older and settling into their lives. 

If it wasn't obvious from the title, this book does contain spicy content. If you aren't into that sort of thing this book isn't for you. 

I received this book as an arc from the author. My review is honest and voluntary

Nov 2, 2024

October 2024 Reads

October 2024 Reads 

This month I read 21 books 

These books were 95% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and mystery

My average rating was 4.38 stars


The Books

Trouble in Love by Bindi Kennedy

Daydream by Hannah Grace

➽ Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey

➽ Time & Time Again by Chatham Greenfield

Tips and Trysts by Rebecca Kinkade

➽ The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

➽ A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

➽ Check Please #1: Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

Puck Dirty to Me by Wynter Ryan

➽ Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

➽ Tag, You're Dead by Kathryn Foxfield

➽ The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets of Happy Living by Meik Wiking

➽ The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

➽ The Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren

Summoned by Shae Ruby

➽ Text Appeal by Kylie Scott

Puck Me Better by Wynter Ryan

Mr. Heartbreaker by Piper Rayne

Love Sick by Cynthia A. Rodriguez

➽ Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

➽ Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Top 5 Tuesday: Books that Made Me Laugh

  Top 5 Tuesday: Books that Made Me Laugh Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday! As it is April Fool's Day, I thought it would be fun to do some...