My Skin Begs You Please

Leta Blake (90s Universe)

This was not an easy story to read, and I encourage all potential readers to mind the content warnings because this also isn’t a story for everybody. However, even though I knew I was in for an emotional wringer, I adore Blake’s writing and decided to take a chance on it. Minty and Luke don’t have much in common on the surface except for a diagnosis that has reshaped their lives. Luckily, they do share a mutual friend who has an idea of how they can help each other…and little does this friend know how much Minty and Luke will go beyond their diagnoses and forge an unexpected new path together. Minty’s character arc is more painful and dramatic, but Luke’s is just as integral and meaningful to the origin of this beautiful love story. I promise the satisfying epilogue makes all the pain worth it.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.

Fresh Ink

E.M. Lindsey (Irons and Works)

It’s been years, in some cases, since I read the original books featuring these characters from Lindsey’s long-running Irons and Works series. However, this collection offering glimpses into their happily ever afters made meeting them feel like yesterday as I was swept back into this unique, interconnected world. Lindsey has truly embodied what “found family” means in this series, heightening the concept even more in these stories. Sure, Lindsey could have easily thrown their readers some spicy day-in-the-life glimpses without much substance, but these stories remind us that happily ever after is a process, not a guarantee. I love that moving the Irons and Works series to a new location doesn’t mean saying goodbye to favorites, and I appreciated this opportunity to catch up with some old friends even while I’m excited to meet new ones.

The Bastard and The Heir

Eden Finley & Saxon James

This book was just the right amount of angsty and complicated without ever reaching the level of melodramatic farce. Darcy and Wren’s relationship arc also neatly treads the line of taboo territory by leaning into a combination of modern technology and actions that felt neatly in line with established characterization. Though I may have predicted the eventual solution to the convoluted complication of their lives, the way the rest of the family plays a part came as a delightful surprise that I appreciated, since no characters should exist as an island.

Red Haze

Lark Taylor (Caffeine Daydreams #3)

I enjoyed the previous books in this series well enough. However, I adored this finale. Taylor has teased the history between Arlo and Jack for two books now, and the truth was both everything and more than I could have possibly wanted. Luckily, Taylor gives us a good glimpse of that history rather than dropping us in the middle of the action, but it never feels like an extended or unnecessary flashback. This is the full arc of their story, even the ugly and painful parts, that are integral to such a satisfying happily ever after. My only disappointment is that I now have to say goodbye to this band, but as Taylor proves with certain cameos in this book, I have the feeling this won’t be the last time they might crop up on the page.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.

Pick Up Man

Jodi Payne & B.A. Tortuga (Wrecked Universe #4)

This story did not wreck me (pun totally intended) as much as others in this series, but the emotions still pack a punch. Jack and Hudson have enjoyed a physical affair for years, but this book opens with Hudson intending to change the status quo. Luckily, his timing couldn’t be better, because Jack is finally at the point in his life where he might be open to something more. The context of other stories in this series may help the reader better appreciate both the relationship and external arcs of this book, but reading them is not fully necessary. As usual, Payne and Tortuga’s East/West romances deliver the perfect blend of character and romance that always puts a smile on my face and provides the perfect comfort read.

Hot Conduit

Katherine McIntyre (Hot Under the Collar #2)

So much opportunity exists for angst in the setup of this romance that I was impressed by how McIntyre delves into such emotion for her characters without their interactions or individual narratives slipping toward melodrama. The immediate subtle character development shows how the circumstances surrounding their initial meeting are misconstrued so that Lex and Theo think the worst of each other. However, their delicious spark of antagonism never gets extinguished even when the characters learn more about each other and accidentally develop a relationship, which isn’t an easy element to maintain in an enemies-to-lovers arc. I’m sure Lex would appreciate a football metaphor here, but all I can offer is how much I absolutely adored these characters and their complicated, yet incredibly sexy, love story. I can’t wait to see more of them in the next installment of this series.

Links to my other 5-star book reviews in the past month:

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