June Romance Wrap-up: Queer Books!

I read queer books consistently throughout the year, but I like to focus on them in June (especially ones that have been on the TBR for a while).  This was a fantastic reading month and I'm so excited to keep the good vibes going into the second half of the year.

 

Want Me - Neve Wilder 

This MM romance is the first book in the Extracurricular Activities series and follows college roommates Nate and Eric.  After Eric accidentally walks in on Nate "taking care of business", Nate tries to shrug it off - a couple days of not making eye contact and it will all blow over.  Except he can't forget the way Eric looked at him and how that made Nate feel.  And when Eric offers to help Nate study for a calculus exam, Nate finds out Eric hasn't forgotten either.  This has been on my TBR for forever and I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it.  I don't normally reach for New Adult books, but after hearing Romantically Inclined talk about it a few times over the course of months, I had to pick it up. This was such a fun read and free from my usual pet peeves of NA books.  Nate and Eric's relationship felt so organic and I loved how they were already acquaintances when the book started.  Their journey from FWB to love was really sweet while also being super spicy - hookups in public places for the win.  I had heard some criticism of this being a "gay for you" romance and I don't agree as we do get confirmation that Nate had previous MM relationships.  That being said, he wasn't out as bi and his past relationships did lean more heavily toward women so I can see how some readers would interpret that.  While these two were housemates, they didn't interact a whole lot outside of the normal housemate pleasantries.  This allowed them to learn more about each other as their relationship progressed and I think that really enhanced the FWB to love arc.

Moonstruck - Onley James

This is the third book in the Necessary Evils series and follows Atticus and Jericho.  The two meet when they both show up to murder the same guy in a remote cabin.  And what better to do in a remote cabin but have a hot, semi-anonymous hook up. Only catch is that neither can stop thinking about the other.  And once they track each other down, there's no going back. This was yet another win in this series.  I absolutely adore the Mulvaney's little band of psychopaths and was so excited to be back with them.  It was nice to get Atticus's story because he always came off like sort of a jerk in the previous books.  And it was so interesting to see how he and Jericho worked when, on the surface, they seemed like they would just constantly butt heads. Jericho has a band of misfit young adults who he gave a home to when they needed it and the group of them are a neighborhood watch/vigilante justice group.  Seeing Atticus and Jericho, along with their respective families, come together for the greater good was great. My favorite thing about Atticus and Jericho's relationship was that they naturally fell into very specific roles but had no trouble stepping out of those roles as needed.  The sexual tension and lust between the two was off the charts and we get some really cute domestic scenes as well.  This series so far is 5/5 and I can't wait to continue.

TW/CW: drug use, drug abuse, death of a sibling, human trafficking, medical experimentation, torture

Keep Me Close - R.M. Virtues

This is the second book in the Gods of Hunger series and follows Aphrodite and Hephaestus.  After an attempt on Aphodite's life, Hephaestus is assigned as her personal bodyguard while he conducts the investigation.  Only problem is the two of them can't help but push each other's buttons.  But when the line between disdain and lust blurs, the two of them need to also figure out their feelings before Aphrodite ends up dead. I love this series and the whole Gods of Hunger world that Virtues built in these books.  Greek mythology has never been something I've been particularly invested in, so I don't have the background knowledge that some readers would.  It feels like Virtues doesn't rely on the reader to have that knowledge so the characters and world are fully developed.  The tension between Aphrodite and Hephaestus was impeccable and when that tension finally cracked it was absolutely on fire. The romantic suspense element didn't quite hit for me because it did drag a bit in the first 1/3.  The book opens with a bang, but then it felt like the mystery/suspense elements were just treading water for a while.  It picked back up around the 1/2 way point, and I really enjoyed the way it all came together at the end. 

CW/TW: human trafficking, kidnapping, 

Count Your Lucky Stars - Alexandria Bellefleur

This FF, second chance romance is the third book in the Written in the Stars series and follows Margot and Olivia. The two were best friends in high school, but after their last spring break when their friendship became something more, the two haven't spoken. Now, Olivia is the wedding planner for Brendon and Annie's upcoming wedding and the two women are back together for the first time in 11 years.  Despite the years passing, the two eventually fall back together like old times.  But as the wedding grows closer, the two will need to figure out what they want so they don't have a repeat of spring break.  This was my favorite book in the series, hands down. We're back with all the characters from the first 2 books for the wedding festivities and all these characters just get along so well - it really felt like coming back together with old friends. I really loved Margot as a character and thought she was really complex and dealing with her feelings of being left out/left behind.  The chemistry between Margot and Olivia was palpable from the beginning and I'm glad they got together pretty early on in the book so it wasn't too much awkward pining.  Olivia felt like she belonged immediately with the group and her and Margot just ~fit~ perfectly together.  I loved the comparison between what happened 11 years prior and their relationship now and how they don't have to regret those lost years but they can certainly make the most of their time together now.

Fear, and Other Love Languages - Aveda Vice

This erotic paranormal horror novelette follows Ella as they try to not let the lack of sleep from recurring nightmares affect their daily life. But when Ella meets the creatures in their dreams, the lines between dreams and reality blur and while Ella is still afraid, there are other feelings stirring under the surface. This is a Nbi/F/M romance between Ella, their nightmare, and their night terror. Vice does a great job of blending the horror and erotic elements in this read and I could really feel the adrenaline throughout the read. That being said, Vice also is fantastic at making sure that consent is clear so this never felt 'iffy' to me at all.  This was only 57 pages long, so like most short works I really wanted more.  I was really intrigued by the world and Ella's life situation.  I also would have liked to see more of Ella's nightmares before they are able to meet the creatures, that way we have a bit of context for their relationship. Vice is able to get so much emotion into such a short page count that I still really enjoyed my reading.  If you liked this, I would 100% also recommend Sing Me To Sleep by R.M. Virtues.