Still reading Rachel Reid Books:

After finishing up the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid, I honestly had a hard time moving on. So I naturally moved on to Reid’s other books.

I loved The Shots You Take.

A dozen years since their friendship ended recently retired & divorced Adam comes looking to reconnect with Riley whose heart he broke.

CWS: grief, mental health, medical situations

I loved that they both had to grow and change sort through their individual traumas and grief before they could come back together. Their epilogue was super adorable and I love books with mature adult MCs.

I waited rather impatiently for my hold to come in and was stymied by having run out of hoopla borrows! But the wait was worth it.

13. Time to Shine by Rachel Reid ( WM/WM, Hockey romance, grumpy/sunshine, Demi/bi rep).

Landon is overwhelmed & anxious when first called up to NHL, but Casey’s golden retriever energy & persistence breakthrough his self-protective walls. Very consent forward !

CWs: grief, anxiety, separation.

It struck me how different the professional hockey league is presented in these two books. While there is still an expectation of heteronormativity in the Time to Shine NHL it is way more accepting with Casey openly out as bi to his teammates and family. While they have tension in their relationship it is not about being closeted. When Landon comes out to his family they are immediately accepting. The tension in the relationship is more about untangling grief and guilt about surviving a sibling death. In the Shots You Take, the NHL presented there is more similar to the real NHL and the one in the Game Changer Novels, with both Adam and Riley experiencing queer phobia from other players. While Riley has an accepting family and community, he had to rebuild his life after hokey. Adam as a retired player coming out long after his career but not his stardom is over, loses friendships over it. Coming out is something he does gradually and then all at once.

• 14. A half-dozen Heated Rivalry fics. I love reading little vignettes or character centric pieces for some of my favorite side characters. Never been a fic reader before but there is such great stuff there.

Found myself reading fanfic for the basically the first time. If I get my act together I’ll review some of my favorites eventually. I went so far as to actually get a Ao3 account…rather than having a dozen tabs open and risk losing them!

Monster loving curiosity:

I try to limit how many ARCs I order nowadays from new to me authors…but occasionally I surprise myself!

7. Tentacles & Triathlons by Ashley Bennett (WM/Kraken M, monster rom/fated mates, bk.2, ARC out 6/9)

Ridiculously horny but very charming small town secret romance.

CWs: secret/lying to friends, kink: tentacle sex, breath play, light degradation PT: toxic parent (verbal abuse)

I picked up this ARC on a whim, didn’t realize it was book 2 of a indie series being re-released by a trad pub when I did. This is truly a month of firsts because I had never read a Monsterloving book either.

I was unprepared for how little world building there was in the series for where the monsters came from or how long they’ve been interacting with human society. It really just read as horny small town contemporary with bonus tentacle sex. My world building loving heart has so many questions!

I checked netgalley and saw that the ARC for book 1 was still available so I went ahead downloaded that too.

9. Muscles and Monsters by Ashley Bennett (BiWW/Wolven man, fated mates, past trauma: verbally abusive Ex)

Just a simdge of world building in this as Bk, but more time is spent explaining why anyone is moving to this small town.

CW: discussion of disordered eating/ exercising, body image.

I ended up reading the third book too but none of them matched my enjoyment the first I read and I think my curiosity for monster loving books might be satisfied since I want more and different from what books than they area trying to deliver.

11. Mantras & Minotaurs by Ashley Bennett bk 3 (WW & Minotaur, older MCs , Long distance)

Pam & Alastair were supposed to be a casual first date but they get super hot & attached & need to figure out how to make it work.

Cws: cannabis use, role-play, exhibitionism. PT: horrible marriage

If you want very sexy small town contemporaries with monsters these books do deliver that!

Mystery:

In the last few years I’ve been reading more mystery than romance but sometimes I’m lucky enough to read mystery with romantic elements by one of my favorite romances writers. Nobody’s Baby is the second book in the Dorothy Gentleman series of SF mysteries. I loved the first book I’m eagerly awaiting the knitting pattern featured in it!

8. Nobody’s Baby by Olivia Waite (sapphic SF mystery novella, ALC out 3/10/26)

Listened to it in one sitting. Engrossing, gave me lots of thinky thoughts on what parents & children owe to each other, personhood & the law. Also knitting.

CW: betrayal PT: unplanned pregnancy, medical situations

I feel like culturally one of the biggest tension points we have is the personhood of children, versus those who see children as extensions of their parents at best or property at worst. In this book, an impossible baby is found. Impossible because in this trans-universal journey people’s consciousness are constantly reembodied and those bodies are manufactured to not be able to reproduce until they arrive at their final destination. But a baby is here, so Dorothy needs to figure out whose baby is this and how it happened. I loved exploring more of this ship and the unique cultures and conflicts that have developed there. I want a dozen more of these mysteries.

10. Stolen in Death by JD Robb (SF/Mystery, In Death: Book #62)

I hadn’t read past bk 3 in the series but picked this up & enjoyed it so much I might have to actually read the rest of the books.

Roarke cat burglar past makes things complicated for Eve

CW: murder, betrayal, PT: abuse, neglect.

The great JD Robb/Nora Roberts is unmatched. I’ve read dozens of Roberts’ romances but I stopped after the 3rd JD Robb In Death book because at the time I couldn’t not imagine reading 50+ books with the same characters. Now a dozen years later…I’m eyeing the series again and considering reading them now…having 60+ books to sink into sounds marvelous!

15. You Can Scream by Rebecca Zanetti (WM/WW, RS series, bk5)

Tricky case full of connections that baffle Lauren as they try to figure out who is the target. Significant steps in the romance.

CWs: guns, kidnapping, violence, medical situations, blood, mentions of suicide. PT: abuse/rape

I’ve enjoyed and continue to enjoy this series but it is starting to drag a little bit with Abigail continuing to escape justice. I’m about ready for Lauren and Huck to have their happy ending safe from Abigail!

16. First Sign of Danger by Kelly Armstrong (WM/AW, mystery, Haven’s Rock 4)

Felt like the final book in the series with how it wrapped up many storylines…I hope it’s not because I so love the community. I plan to listen again anyway.

CWS: murder, medical procedures, guns, people trafficking

In contrast to the Lauren Snow books I could keep reading about Casey, Eric and their found family forever. But some things about this book felt final. I have no idea if Kelly Armstrong is wrapping up the series or not but it felt like a series closer. If you haven’t read these I highly recommend them.

17. Innocence Road by Laura Griffin (WW, mystery)

I usually enjoy Griffin’s work but this was a slog. Pacing issues and lots of meanderings. Several plot points came out of left field in the end while others were painfully obvious.

Cws: murder, racism, sexism, guns, SA of victims, sex work.

I’m not sure if this is the start of a series or not… but I think I’m going to skip it any others.

Romantic Suspense

18. Cold Heat by Toni Anderson ( RS, WM/WW, best friend’s daughter)

Daisy is over being in overprotected by her father’s too sexy best friend, but her revenge seduction backfires when they catch feelings neither want to acknowledge.

cws: guns, murder, medical situations, racism, sexism

This was very much idiots in love, as they are both gone for each other but keep throwing fake obstacles in front of each other. Still I love that dynamic. I will need to reread the series someday as it sprawling. I do feel it is terribly hard to be doing RS with American MCs in this dark timeline.

And last but not least:

Fantasy:

12. Beast Business by Ilona Andrews (WW/WM, PNR novella)

Augustine and Diana track down a stolen cub & find unexpected connection. Love the new magical secrets and the Arabella side quest!

CWs: violence, gore, guns PT: grief, self-harm.

The BDH has been clamoring for an Augustine book for years and we finally got one and it feels deeply ungrateful to feel like that wasn’t enough. I don’t know what magic the Andrews possess that makes me and others just want more and more. There was lot of tantalizing moments in this and I could read a whole series about them. I also loved the Arabella POV chapters and where the Andrews are taking her character.

19. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews (portal fantasy with Rom elements, WW MC)

This story had me in its grip the whole 22 hrs of audio & I’m now attached to a slew of characters with conflicting agendas.Can’t wait bk 2

Cws: gore, murder, violence, ref to SA

I’m going to have to listen to this again because there are just so many fantastic moments, twists, turns and revelations. I love the heart of this book, Maggie desire to save as many people, as she can and to treat others not matter their station with dignity is deeply affirming. I also cackled maniacally anytime Maggie had a lord give her heart eyes and while she backpedaled hard.

New series by the Andrews are exquisite torture, you know it’s amazing and you know you will be waiting a long time for the next one.