Omegaverse Romances

I’ll admit up front, I don’t even think I like dark romances, so maybe this rant isn’t totally fair. But I’ve been noticing this more and more lately. I used to be able to trust Goodreads ratings, and now I just can’t. Some of my favorite books are sitting under 3.5 stars, and then these 4+ star books end up completely unreadable.

Lights Out was the breaking point!!! I feel like i’ve lost all hope for a good book this year? It honestly felt like it was written by a 12-year-old (no shade to actual 12-year-olds who could probably do better). The writing was clunky, the pacing dragged, and then the second half came out of nowhere?! It started off trying to be a dark romance, then suddenly flipped into something completely different. Even the romance parts felt forced and awkward. Ugh!!! I just hated this book so much im so upset hahaha

And the wildest part? I read this while high as a kite, and even that couldn’t distract me from how messy it was. I genuinely CAN NOT wrap my head around how almost half a million people rated this, and it still sits at 4.15.

Also hate to yuck and ones yum so if you like it i’m really happy for you for real.

I know this seems a little odd for some but I'm looking for another way to read smut other than my KU. I understand that KU has the rights to some books but if I can't read at least some smut it isn't worth the hassle for me being disabled to try and go get a card.

TIA 😊

You guys, I just need to scream into the void for a minute.

I loved the book Homebound by Lydia Hope. I'm a sucker for sci-fi, especially with a post apocalypse feel and a captured hero. Lydia Hope rarely comes out with new books, so I made sure to buy a physical copy of her new release, Seven Oars. Guys, this book disgusted me so much, I think the author is going to be on my Do Not Read EVER list. The book is about a group of women who are held captive together. Our FMC is half human, half alien, and her life has been filled with prejudice and hardship because of this. One of the women she's captured with, Daphne, is the daughter of a mother daughter pair, and she's written as someone who has a developmental disability. The way the author described this character sickened me. My career has been supporting individuals with developmental disabilities in various capacities. I have worked with people who engaged in behaviors like Daphne's when they weren't able to communicate in other ways. I never once thought of those people in any way close to the way this character is written, and imagining the idea of someone treating them like this author seems to think is appropriate breaks my heart. Daphne is written much more like an animal than a human. Not one positive thing about her was said, not one facet of her personality outside of her disability was mentioned. Every time Daphne is talked about, its in statements like this:

"She was an odd one, Daphne. They all knew the girl had challenges, but it was her habit of staring that unsettled them. More than once, Rosamma found herself the object of Daphne’s intense, unblinking scrutiny, her eyes wide-open, her face slack and unemotional."

"Eze was checking on Daphne, who appeared dazed. “What can I feed her? And she wet her pants.” Alyesha cursed but doggedly dug through the pile of garbage in the corner, locating some rags. “Here, make a diaper out of it or something.”

"Daphne’s fist closed over Anske’s face, twisting her nose and cheek as if trying to tear them off. “Daphne, no, stop it!” Eze screeched. “Look at the yellow square. Look! And the purple!” She picked up the book, waving it around frantically."

I was shocked that an author in today's world would write someone with a disability much more like a thing than a person. For years, people with developmental disabilities and their loved ones have advocated tirelessly to be treated as whole and complex people, and this book felt like a huge step back to those ideals. So many times Daphne is described as odd, or weird, without any positive adjectives at all. And Lydia Hope's books are literally about how aliens get treated as less than at times just because they're different, and about how wrong that is!

Then, near the end of the novel, the author actually had the women jokingly call each other the r word as an insult.

I dont know if I'm reading too much into this, or if anyone will relate at all. Im just having big feelings about this and dont know where else to vent my sadness at feeling so let down by an author.

Hey, folks! I want a book where the leads are in the same or closely related fields -- maybe they're both chefs, pro gamers, academics in the same field, spies from different countries, salespeople at rival firms, or lawyers who routinely face each other in court -- and who are incredibly competitive with each other.

But despite desperately wanting to win over the other one, they don't hate each other. Instead, they have a ton of professional respect for each other and see the other one as the measuring stick by which they judge themselves.

Like, if they're chefs, I want the FMC to want the MMC's opinion first once she's made a new dish, because she knows he cares too much about food to ever lie to her. And if you gave him the choice between her approval and a Michelin star, he would freeze up and be like, "I'm THINKING, okay?"

Obviously something has got to happen to catalyze their feelings for each other, but I'm not picky about that. I just want them to be super competitive, but in an admiring way. It would be especially awesome if, after one wins, they tell the other how they did it in order to lift up their rival and stay on a level playing field.

I'd prefer MF romances (including with bi leads), because I'm jonesing for some on-page gender equality. However, professional respect is hot enough that if you've got good queer recs, hit me up with them, too.

I'm reading {Chasing Shelter by Catherine Cowles} and she has yanked me straight out of the scene where MCs finally kiss with the line "I moaned as his tongue dueled with mine." 😂

What clichés have you been amazed to actually see on the page?

Saw a scene from the serie Working Moms where the FMC Jenny roasts a dad on their kids playground, and he matches her energy back. Unfortunately can't link the clip due to autobot. Just an example of the roast level: "Did someone legit let you put a baby inside them, or did you just stole him so you could compared dick sizes?" And his reply: "looool 😂 Same questions for you but for boobs!"

So, just 2 mature, stable adults with a dark, sarcastic sense of humor (playfull banter) who can let out their full blown "mean" sense of humor around eachother because they know the other can handle it easily.

Also ok with a MMC who is kinda a sunshine and can appreciate the roasts comments of the FMc

Ok here’s what I remember. The MMC is convicted of a rape he didn’t commit. Served 10 years and is released into a small coastal town where everyone hates him. The FMC lives down the road from him and becomes friends with him. She moved to the town so doesn’t know his story. It’s a slow burn, the first in a series that follows his friends from the night of the party when he was accused. Driving me crazy, I want to read the other books if they’re out but cannot find the name anywhere.

Book with sister assassins

Hi! I read a series I think on KU and I really liked it but I cannot remember what it is. I remember that she was an assassin with her sisters (I don’t think they’re actually related) and I think that she was involved with the prince of the series because she sneaks into the castle. Does anyone have any idea what it could be? Thanks!!

Hii. I’ve seen recs of ‘FMC needs to relieve the pain in her breasts and breastfeeds MMC,’ but I wish it were the other way around — MMC needs to eat because they’re kidnapped, lost, etc., and there’s no food, so FMC offers him her milk so he won’t starve.

Humans or aliens, maybe they were kidnapped, imprisoned, or lost, and it led them to the situation of running out of food. The only thing i don’t like is threesomes or cheating.

Thank you!!

Edited to add: ‘Don’t downvote an otherwise acceptable post because you don’t personally like it.’ If you don’t like the trope, that’s okay, but downvoting you hurt my post’s visibility.

I have a very specific trope I’m looking for. Im looking for more of a tragedy. I want a really shitty, asshole, villainous, manipulative, mean, gaslighting, smooth-talking MMC (maybe even a bit alpha, but not too much) who hates the FMC and is so consumed by his hatred that he goes out of his way to make her life miserable. An MMC who’s an ass in general, wrapped up in his own issues, pride, or some deep-rooted flaw, but at the end of the day, still human. Eventually, he falls for the FMC, but he’s so consumed by negativity that he doesn’t even realize it.

I want him to experience real emotions. He starts off hating her and doing the absolute worst to her, but over time he develops a genuine soft spot for her, something born from familiarity, attraction, or even admiration. It’s like a genuine, innocent crush he doesn’t acknowledge, and it shows in small, unnoticed ways. Maybe he steals glances when she’s minding her own business, subconsciously learns her likes and dislikes, or starts admiring certain qualities in her. He might even look back at things he’s done and feel a flicker of guilt like “Damn, how could I have done that?” He still lusts after her though, partly for his own needs and partly because it messes with her.

By the time he truly falls in love, it’s too late. He’s already destroyed too much between them by being such an asshole. He goes from a confident, self-assured jerk to a crying, whimpering mess once he realizes how much he loves her and despite everything, he'll always come back to her.

I want this to be a mess of complex emotions, full of unsaid confessions and unspoken love, like a thousand unsent letters in his heart. He’s so deep in hatred and pride that he doesn’t even recognize the genuine love growing inside him.

So far, the only books I’ve found that somewhat match this vibe are Dostoevsky’s The Meek One and Nina Pennacchi’s Lemonade. I’m hoping to find more stories in this vein.

It could be MMC was in grave danger before and FMC sheltered FMC. Or maybe MMC is just in dire depression and poverty and FMC was there to help him. Or maybe MMC suffered injuries and FMC nursed him at some point. Or maybe even just when they were still students FMC helped him alot at his worst. Whatever the case may be

FMC has to be either plain and/or like a pauper and/or low social standing. Or a struggling student or what not. Just somebody who doesnt have the qualities that would attract the opposite sex so FMC is confused about why MMC is chasing after her.

MMC has to be at the prime of his life when chasing FMC. Or just doing really really well. So if he used to be a poor student then he is now a rich man. If he was an injured soldier then he is now healed and has estate and properties. Whatever the case may be,

Preferences:

• HR, Contemporary or Fantasy would be fine
• No cheating
• HEA
• Straight romance
• No monster/supernatural/alien/post-apocalyptic please
• opendoor (the spicier the better)

Any recommendation ? Thanks

I have just finished reading through Sarra Mannings back catalogue after coming across several recommendations for {Unsticky by Sarra Manning}. I have to be upfront: the summary, the title and the ridiculous, at least to my eyes, cover, put me off several times. Boy, was I wrong to have put it off for months! overall, I read 5 standalone books from her, all set in London, with characters and settings making repeat appearances in some of the books.

Unsticky is a perfect depiction of a relationship of two people with their own backstory, concerns and ticks, and the development of their relationship. it features adults who do not have their shit together, and don’t communicate as if they have decades of therapy speak experience behind them (I love the idea of open and respectful communication, but honestly, how often does it happen consistently in relationships, particularly at the beginning?). Note that below I provide some details (generic enough not to be spoilers, but you might not want to see them if you like a perfectly clean slate before reading a book).

The story features age difference (FMC is mid twenties, though, and a functional adult, so it didn't bother me at all), class/money differences, and plays on the tropes of secret relationship/contractual dating/fake dating in a unique way I haven’t really seen before. the book is often compared to pretty woman, but I have to disagree, as the only parallels are in the tropes and not the execution. “Unsticky” is the ultimate slow burn, though sex occurs early on, the relationship progresses but remains ’in flux’ until the last chapter. This is somewhat of a theme with all Manning’s books: all of the book is relationship development, and once characters are in a happy place, the book fades to black. I know that some readers can be let down by this, but in this author’s case this structure avoids a lot of issues with tension common in romance, and saves the author from doing convoluted third act break up/drama to move the plot along and maintain the pacing.

In addition to “Unsticky”, I read {You don’t have to say you love me by Sarra Manning}, which features one of the best depictions of an FMC after massive weight loss (dealing with food issues, but also psychological issues, and how they can impact relationships of the character not only with their romantic interest, but also family and friends). The plot loosely revolves around the FMC practicing her relationship skills on a willing and promiscuous man with commitment issues (there is a somewhat loose love triangle but no cheating the MMC and FMC decide to have a relationship focused on building up their romantic skills only, with an expiration date, and MMC knows the FMC is pining for friend who is about to move back to UK after a long stint overseas).

{It felt like a kiss by Sarra Manning} features a sudden paparazzi scandal and a romance between the paparazzi hounded FMC, who would have referred to avoid any media attention, and a super ambitious solicitor helping other affected parties limit reputational damage. Features forced proximity and conflicts of interest. Also features a background romance plot in the past, which as it is revealed slowly starts to change our understanding of the present situation.

{Nine uses for an ex-boyfriend by Sarra Manning} is the least romantic romance of the lot, as it deals with cheating. Not a spoiler, revealed on the first pages. The FMC is in a happy place by The end of the book, but the book itself beautifully depicts a relationship in trouble and the FMC choices/feelings on the subject. Tropes: loosely second chances, cheating, other woman, other man.

Finally, the last book I read came out just this year, and it’s {Last days of summer by Sarra Manning}. It’s an uplifting story set in a pretty sad/depressive circumstances incurable cancer of close friend of the FMC and MMC. It’s a second chance romance, with class and age difference, when the MMC does a fair bit of groveling and growth. It also features tropes of second chances and fake relationship.

Hope you check out at least some of her books, and they bring you as much excited squeeling, happiness and tears as they did for me! Mostly I write this because I realized the last post with her name in the title was 4-5 years ago, and she just got another book out.

Welcome to Romance in Retrograde, a series where I dig through the dusty bins of vintage sci-fi romance, dust off the glitter, and decide whether each book is a forgotten gem or thrift-store trash. For my first review of the Fall season, we’re starting strong with a little seasonal dissonance: {Summer of the Unicorn by Kay Hooper}. Fair warning, this is a full spoiler review, so if this book has been quietly haunting your TBR pile for the last 37 years, this is your cue to gallop away now.

Content Warnings: Graphic sexual assault and rape fantasies (described in detail), mind control and manipulation, violence against animals (including unicorn deaths), dubious consent / dated sexual dynamics (very 80s romance).

Spoilers beyond this point!

We open on the planet Rubicon, smack in the middle of a succession crisis. Rubicon was settled by refugees from long-lost Earth, a planet abandoned long ago for reasons lost to time (probably because we ruined it). The society is a weird mash-up: they ban advanced weapons, champion science and the arts… but still have a hereditary monarchy governed by Salic law. So basically, a society that evolved beyond laser guns but not misogyny.

The current king, Jason, can’t have kids, so his brother Darian graciously suggests that he should have two wives to maximize his offspring production potential. Both women get pregnant at the same time, and Darian promptly dies in a hunting accident.

Wife #1, goes into labor after her caravan is attacked, delivers alone in the wreckage, and staggers back to the palace, claiming her son Boran was born just hours before wife #2’s son, Hunter. Hunter has all the correct pedigree and papers filed, but Boran has no receipts. We’ve got dueling baby princes!

There were no witnesses, and the Court physicians could not—or would not—decide which boy was oldest.

Years pass, and the king dies. Hunter is the golden boy, beautiful, charming, and gracious but slightly aloof. Boran is the dark horse, cunning but unpopular, with half of his face heavily scarred for reasons unknown. My Millennial brain was ready for a Prince Zuko twist. Surely scarred brooding guy with the compelling backstory and underdog disposition = misunderstood antihero, right? … Right?

With no clear heir, Rubicon falls into chaos. Revolution is brewing, resources are dwindling, and the Council of Elders comes up with the worst Human Resources solution in galactic history:

"A unicorn. The first of you who returns to Rubicon with proof that unicorns do or do not exist will rule this planet."

They pack both princes into spaceships and send them off to prove or disprove the existence of unicorns. (How one finds tangible proof of the non-existence of unicorns is not explained. Sounds like a great thesis project though.)

We pick up with Hunter several years later, having journeyed far across the galaxy, on a new planet called Styx. It’s basically Mos Eisley: a wretched hive of scum and villainy. There are gangs of dangerous rogues called Huntmen (no, not Huntsmen, no matter how much my autocorrect insists), who live in the town in the shadow of a mountain called The Reaper. The Reaper shelters a valley where every summer (once a decade, Styx operates on a Westerosi calendar), unicorns gather to breed, and the Huntmen do their best to slaughter them for their valuable horns.

Enter our FMC:

"The Keeper of the unicorns." He made an ancient sign meant to ward off devils. "She's a witch, a sorceress, with eyes as black as The Reaper to drive men mad. They say she has silver hair and a siren's voice, and that she fights as a warrior fights. She's protected the unicorns for ten thousand years."

This is Siri, the Keeper. Siri fucking rocks. She has my ten year old self’s fantasy life: beautiful badass warrior princess unicorn guardian.

Hunter then consults with Maggie, an old woman who runs the only sacred place on Styx - the library! Maggie spills a bit more about this mysterious Keeper:

"Let's say for the sake of argument that she's a very unique woman. With a unique heritage and a responsibility no other woman could bear. Let's say that her entire life, her being, is concerned with—and only with—guarding the unicorns and keeping them safe."

He nodded, accepting that.

"And man is the enemy," Maggie said softly.

"Not all men."

Hunter. Babe. Do not get me started with this “not all men” bullshit.

So Hunter goes off, climbs The Reaper, and then immediately falls down the other side, bashing himself to bits on the rocks below.

Finally, we properly meet Siri and her herd of the last ten unicorns. They’re named things like Cloud, Storm, Fancy, and Heart, which is exactly what my ten-year-old My Little Pony collecting self would’ve named them!

Siri finds Hunter all bashed up, and hauls him back to her cabin (with help from Cloud, the elderly stallion leader). She heals him up and then he, despite having literally just fallen off a cliff, is immediately so horny he nearly comes just from her touching him:

He quite literally lacked the strength to obey his body's need, but that did nothing to diminish the throbbing arousal. He was going to disgrace himself if she didn't stop touching him.

Sir, you just fell off a cliff. Priorities!

Siri does a bit of tarot reading (seriously, did someone pluck this from my preteen brain?) and discovers that she and Hunter are destined to be lovers. Which is terrible news, because only virgins can guard the unicorns (duh), and her life is magically tied to the valley, so she literally cannot leave.

Hunter, proving that he is a bit of a himbo, is like “What’s the big deal babe? I just need to prove that unicorns exist so I can be king, and then we can bone and everything will work out great for me!” Siri keeps trying to get Hunter to stop being so dense.

"Can you stop and think for one single moment what your very presence here is doing to me?" she demanded desperately. "Can you see past your damned obsession and realize that you threaten what I love most in the world? Isn't there some part of you that understands that? I'm the Keeper of the Unicorns, and I'm the only thing standing between them and extinction!”

Hunter: 👁️👄👁️

This is basically the “I can’t just quit my job, Chad” conversation, but with unicorns. An allegory for every woman who’s ever had to explain that no, her career isn’t a cute little hobby she’ll drop once the right guy comes along, and that he might have to make a few personal sacrifices for her sake. It's pretty frustrating to read!

But wait, it gets worse! Boran has already slithered into the unicorn valley. Along the way he picked up a mind-control amulet, because sure, why not. While Hunter kind of sucks in that insidious, everyday-himbo way, Boran’s flavor of villainy is full-on nightmare fuel. He uses the amulet to gaslight Siri daily: visiting her under false pretenses, warping her perceptions, molesting and sexually manipulating her, then wiping her memory so he can do it all again. These scenes are graphic, repetitive, and viscerally gross. Even by the standards of 80s romance where dubious consent was everywhere, Boran’s fantasies are stomach-turning, fixated not just on rape, but on savouring Siri’s terror, humiliation, and pain. It’s vile. I actually had to put the book down more than once, and I’ve been mainlining vintage bodice rippers all summer.

He thought of that lovely face flushed with anger, then pale with horror and revulsion as his heavy body covered her helpless one.

He saw her black eyes wild with terror and pain and grief as he destroyed her. Destroyed her ability to guard her charges. Destroyed her most precious possession. Destroyed her beauty.

Yeah. Boran, we’re done. All that brooding potential, squandered. I forgot that this book was from the 80s, so the scarred villain is just the villain.

From there, everything barrels into a climactic unicorn showdown. Boran unleashes a horde of Huntmen, all under his creepy mind-control influence, onto the valley. Hunter and Siri work together to take them all down, until Siri is captured. Boran threatens her life, and Hunter is forced to choose between protecting the unicorns or saving the woman he loves. He refuses to give up the herd, and that’s the moment Siri realizes she loves him: not because he’s handsome, not because of fate or tarot, but because he finally puts her mission above his ego. That worked for me. Hunter wins Siri not by conquering her, but by vowing to protect what matters most to her.

"Siri, I'll keep the faith," he called to her hoarsely, the words tearing from him and leaving raw, bloody wounds.

"I'll keep my promise."

Though it would destroy him.

And in that moment, moved unbearably by his torment, Siri made her choice. If the gods decreed that she would somehow survive this day, all that she was would be forever his. "I love you," she whispered, knowing he didn't hear, wishing desperately that she could shout the words to him.

The battle itself is surprisingly brutal. Cloud, the stalwart old unicorn stallion who’s been with Siri since childhood, dies defending the valley. I was absolutely wrecked. I cried so hard my husband came out of his office thinking something terrible had happened. Nope. Just me, ugly-crying over a noble unicorn’s last stand.

Hunter kills Boran in the end, and barely blinks at the fact that he just murdered his half-brother. But honestly, Boran was such a vile creep by that point, I wasn’t about to argue.

The book gives us a soft landing: Hunter and Siri finally sleep together. Yes, it’s full of “damp womanhoods” and “silken heats” (the 80s were a lawless time), but compared to the rest of the sexual landscape in this novel, it’s sweet and tender. Their relationship ends in genuine partnership: co-Keepers of the unicorn valley, returning every decade to guard the herd, and co-rulers of Rubicon in the meantime. It’s a bit of a hand-waving “love conquers all” solution, but this is a romance novel after all, so that’s what I’m here for.

So even though parts of this book were genuinely hard to stomach (Boran’s vile fantasies being chief among them), Summer of the Unicorn ultimately redeemed itself in the final act. It gave Siri the rarest of gifts in vintage romance: the chance to keep her calling and find love without compromise. In the end, she really does get to have it all: career, relationship, and unicorns. It’s basically a sci-fi fantasy office romance, if your office happens to be a magical valley and your co-workers are horses with horns. Final rating: five out of five tissues, three out of five damp womanhoods.

Stray points:

• We find out that Styx is actually long lost Earth. You maniacs, you blew it up!
• Siri is not, in fact, 10000 years old, she’s 23. Being a Keeper is like a Buffy the Vampire Slayer situation, where a new Keeper is born every generation. She apparently “chose” to become a Keeper at age three. A lifelong binding contract being agreed to by a toddler seems… dubious.
• Maggie, the old woman from the library, is actually a Keeper too, the Keeper of Knowledge!

Might as well thrown my niche request in the mix lol. I'm looking for a book with forced proximity, but with the MMC(s) initiating it while still respecting sexual limits and the FMC overall. Like they have to share a bed or cuddle but he doesn't force anything else on her. Bonus if they know each other and she's already into him but just mad or holding back for some reason. Darker romances are ok too, but nothing with non-con or abuse between the MCs.

Hey friends!

So I went down a rabbit hole last night and decided I needed to do some more research. For science.

What I’m looking for specifically - a cock chastity cage and orgasm denial. Maybe he’s a professional athlete or rock star with a playboy reputation, and she doesn’t believe he can keep it in his pants, so he makes her his key holder. I don’t generally love second chance romance, but maybe he’s an addict, cheated while loaded and gets clean, and she says she’ll take him back only if he locks it up.

I’ve read {The Only One by Daisy Jane} and {Preferential Treatment by Heather Guerre}, and that seems to be all that I’ve found on the subject of cock cages.

Hello :D

I'm looking for books where the MMC is a single dad, but on the younger side, since I feel like I don't see it a lot and I'm craving for it. I saw a post from about a year ago with a similar request, and, well, I WANT MORE.

MMC can be in university, or not, I'm okay with either. Preferably, MMC's kid(s) are around toddler aged, since I love toddlers in books, but also because that would make MMC have the kid(s) in his teens/early 20s, which, is another thing I don't see a lot in books.

I want none of that put together single dad with a business empire. I want this man to be a mess and trying to figure out his own life while trying to care for his kid lol.

Contemporary romance is preferred :D

Hello, lovely people. If you could spare me some of your time and help me find this book, I would be most grateful as I have quite the craving for it. My brain is itching for me to read it again. I read it a while ago, so I don’t remember all the details. The mmc and fmc definitely knew each other since they were children. Their houses sat next to each other. I remember a particular scene involving a book about etiquette (or something like, how to be a duchess?) being left on the bench by the young mmc. I think the mmc is a duke? While the fmc is the daughter of a businessman or something… It’s not much but that’s all I can remember. I think there’s also a scene where they communicate by handkerchiefs (?) hung on their windows (?). Please help this girl out 🥺

I read this book a year or so ago about a single mother on the run from her abusive ex. A cop ends up helping her child and he is instantly drawn to the mother and wants to help them. She tries to leave but the cop keeps convincing her to stay with him. The ex eventually finds her there and the cop has to protect her and the child. It’s clearly a HEA. Any recommendations would be great!!

I feel like there was a more recent ask of this but I could only find this post from 3 years ago

Looking for a romance book that's not in high school or college where the MMC sees the FMC but only in secret and then like one day she's just tired of not being acknowledged so she leaves. I know that grovel is a tough ask but I would particularly like for this to be a significant cause of tension in the book instead of just something that's resolved in the next 10 pages. Ideally its like a 2nd chance romance where he fucked up by being mean to her externally while sleeping with her on the side. Better if there's a situation where MMC gets v. annoyed because he can't help FMC bc he has to pretend he doesn't know her but he's now like trapped in a situation of his own making if you know what I mean? I'm just after angst basically

Not into RH or Fantasy but anything else goes. Open to F-F books too!

This is a SHOT IN THE DARK lol.

I had a flash this weekend of a book I read probably 20 years ago-- contemporary at the time, so written in the 90s or early 2000s. I do remember that it was a contentious relationship between the FMC and MMC and perhaps the heroine had curly dark hair. I bet there was a scene where they both got super wet/sodden like a rainstorm or getting dunked in a pool.

The thing that stands out in my memory though is how the FMC's physical strength (lack of) was emphasized constantly. I KNOW the phrase "puny fists" was used multiple times-- something like she was railing at him but her "puny fists" were making no difference in his bulk. I also *think* there was a moment she flexed her bicep (FOR the MMC) and it was like a tiny lump. Truly this woman was described as being so weak and tiny-- I think ultimately it became a thing between the two of them that he was trying to get her stronger??

So curious if anyone has a mind like mine where these little bits float to the surface!!

This author is a hit or miss for me- I’m hearing good things about her newest though and I’m interested. What are the ages in the book? Including her ex, since from what I’ve read it doesn’t seem like the age gap is too big between the two MC’s?

{Wild Card by Elsie Silver}

I read this book maybe 5-ish years ago, but it could have been as recent as 3 years ago. It was an MC series and I think it took place in the western US, possibly California.

The FMC was the teacher of the MMC's child (a daughter I believe, maybe around age 8-12) and the MMC was a single dad and some kind of officer in the MC. I don't think he was the president, but maybe.

I remember the house the MC lived in was all guys (and in gross condition) and when the teacher started staying over, she began cooking for the guys.

I feel like there was a side character named Viking or maybe Ice (and was said to have resembled a Viking) and he got his own book later in the series and he may have been into illegal fighting for money?

Around the same time I read another book, different from the teacher one, that was definitely about a MC in California and one of the books had an FMC who was a carnie! She lived in a trailer as part of the carnival and she managed games. I can't remember if the carnie book was the same series as the one with the teacher or not.

The MC was located near a stop of the carnival and that's how FMC and MMC met.

I'm not sure if the teacher FMC and carnival worker FMC were in the same series. I don't think so, but the memories of both books blur a bit together.

I want to re-read both books, but can't find either in my library now, so they were likely KU books at some point.

Any help appreciated!!

Yesterday I checked my wishlist to see if anything on there was on sale and to my surprise almost everything was on sale for $14 or less, most was $7-$9, and it said the sale was going away in 7 days. Naturally, I bought a few books and I figured I would come back over the next week and get more. I first saw the sale around 8:30am cst, checked out around 1:30pm cst, and by the time I got home around 2:30 to continue looking through my wishlist all the sale prices were gone. Weird right? The same thing happened about a week and a half ago when they randomly had a sale- not quite as good of a sale- but it said the sale was going on for the next 10 days. I bought one book, then a few hours later the sale went away. On both occasions there was no landing page for the sale or any kind of indication of the sale. I get them having random flash sales, but don’t advertise it as it being a sale that lasts days when it will be gone in a matter of hours! Anyway, I guess I’ll consider myself lucky that I got the books at a discounted price, but I just wondered if I was the only one that noticed. I think I’ll just post in here the next time they have these random sales so everyone else can get the discounts too!

{June First by Jennifer Hartmann}

Spoiler-free rave below!

Have you ever read a book where the love between the two MCs is so palpable that you almost feel like you’re intruding? The characters feel so real that your brain and emotions forget they aren’t. The story takes over your mind and you’re left thinking about it days/weeks after finishing. This book was all of that and more.

When the author first takes us through the lives of the main characters as kids, she captures the magic of childhood and the love and bond between siblings so beautifully that it made me grieve my own childhood.

Another thing I loved is that the majority of the story is told from the perspective of the MMC, and boy does your heart break for him. The love between him and the FMC is so brutally raw and pure, I’m at a loss for words.

It’s definitely not for the faint of heart. There are some truly heartbreaking things that happen to the main characters. But if you want something that will make you feel and cry and swoon, this is it. I can’t even write this without tearing up.

I’m not great at expressing myself in writing, so I’m sure I’m not doing this book justice. But, gah… this book affected me! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect. But if you like the tropes listed below and don’t mind something angsty that will make you ugly cry… this is it.

Tropes: adopted sibling, forbidden, age gap, tortured hero, tortured heroine

Spice: 4/5 (slow burn, takes a while to get there but worth it when it finally does)

There are sensitive topics, so def do a little research before diving in if you need that.

Also if you have any recs for what I should read next, please share! I’ve already read {Older by Jennifer Hartmann} and {Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann}.