My 10 Before the End:
I read this romance via audiobook, enjoyed the narration, and finished it in one sitting. The phrase “single dad” is almost always music to my ears and I was not disappointed. The characters were fresh and endearing and I enjoyed the time I spent with them. The spice was sparse but what was there was quality smut. Excited to go and find more by this author.
I read this book via audio and found it a compelling and engaging listen. This book was spicy, sweet, and earnest. I appreciated the exploration of gender and sport and the complications that come with exploring one’s gender as a professional athlete. I was not expecting to encounter such an important, complicated topic in this novel, but I’m so appreciative that I did. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
This book succeeded in meeting the cozy expectations I had for it. Tea, kittens, other assorted animals, and desserts! It had it all. Fingers crossed for a follow up!
I received King of the Crease by A. J. Truman as an arc and ended up purchasing it in print and being gifted it in audiobook along with the first two books in The Comebacks series. I found the book to be a delightful romp and equal parts silly, sexy, and sweet. Even not having read the first two books in the series I was able to follow along and have a good time stepping into the team’s found family. This is the second book by A. J. Truman I’ve read and I hope to read many more!
Blair stole every scene she with every appearance in Kimberly Lemming’s I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com and makes for an excellent heroine in it’s follow up I Punched an Alien and Now We’re in Couple’s Therapy. King Osid is starts out needing a hell of a lot of redemption. I think Lemming pulls it off by making both characters deliciously morally grey.
Neither character is without violent impulse though Osid is notably more covered in red flags. He also falls first, hard, and fast, which I love. Blair is understandable reluctant to take on everything that comes with a relationship with Osid and I am happy with how things resolve.
It’s great to have brief appearances of characters from the first book. Dory continues to be an unhinged delight. I could use more Dorothy always.
Fingers crossed for more installments in the series.
Poolside by Taylor E. Weston was on the top of my list for upcoming bookclub picks. The author is attending a Romance Bookstore Day event locally at the local romance book store HEA Book Boutique and was announced as attending Sports Romance Con 2027 next summer.
Poolside is the second in the Southeastern Alumni series which starts with Courtside (reviewed here). It focused on workaholic divorceé Tommy and swim coach Chuck who have been friends since college and particularly close since Tommy’s divorce. I tag the book as friends to lovers in the graphic but I think my favorite AO3 tag – idiots to lovers – may be more accurate.
The sex scenes are spicy, evocative, and grounded. The novel deals in part with the effects mental health medications can have on libido and I found it sensitively explored. It is by far responsible for the most texts I’ve gotten from a friend over spicy scenes in a book we were both reading. And responsible for me stopping multiple times through out the day to question do I need to watch Spartacus? Answer: unclear.
The same group of close knit found family from the first book feature in Poolside. Tommy and Chuck are both somewhat isolated in different ways and Chuck becomes more so over the course of the book. Hearteningly, neither Tommy or their other friends disappear from Chuck’s life when things get difficulty. They don’t smother Chuck; they give him space as he needs it, but they don’t let him entirely isolate. It was nice to see agency intact within caretaking, which can be a delicate balance. I think Weston handled the portrayal well.
When I submitted the forms to become Harry legally, I sent my family a version of this cheeky birth announcement. It led to the general confusion of, “I thought you two didn’t want to have kids” that comes from being surrounded by literal thinkers. After explaining it was agreed the joke was okay at best and I refuse to let it die. Thus this cheeky reminder of my identity and the eternal validity of it. Liking this supports that not only am I valid in my identity, but also that I am the funniest member of my family besides my wife.
A reminder that my experiences are not reflective of all trans folks. We are not a monolith. The thoughts and experiences of this 30-something year-old Midwestern trans man does not represent everyone.
Thank you for respecting me and my pronouns, which again are he, him, and his 🏳️⚧️
