Hi Wild Ones! This was a month for epic fantasy (Kushiel’s Mercy), and books with a polyamorous leaning (the Scientific Method series). Actually, they both have a polyam element, even though it’s extremely mild and very background in Kushiel’s Mercy. But Love as Thou Wilt is a core tenant of the world of Terre d’Ange, and they mean it. It’s one of the things I love about that series.
Hi Wild Ones! This is way late, but I read some great stuff that I wanted to pass on to you, so I’m doing it now.
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Catalysts by Kris Ripper
Amazon (print and ebook)* ~ Apple (ebook) ~ Barnes & Noble (ebook) ~ Google ~ Kobo (ebook and audiobook) ~ Smashwords
I enjoyed Book Boyfriend so much that I went looking for more Kris Ripper to read. I found this delightful gem of a series, and I’m so glad I did. It has so many of the things I love in romance. It’s highly kinky, and very polyamorous. There are some queer relationships, some straight ones, all kinds of different characters, and they all support each other. I’ve always loved books and series that do that. I know the thought with publishing is to group all your similar characters into a series by themselves (all the gay men in this series, all the fem doms in that series, or even totally separate them out by pen name) but that doesn’t feel real to me. The joined approach feels more natural, when there are all kinds of people living and getting along together. I dug into the first few books right away. And hey, the first one is free so I added it to my page of recommended free books! Catalysts is MMM, and follows Will as he comes to grips with his bisexual and kinky nature. His journey is written carefully and I loved it.
Unexpected Gifts by Kris Ripper
Amazon (print and ebook)* ~ Apple (ebook) ~ Barnes & Noble (ebook) ~ Google ~ Kobo (ebook) ~ Smashwords
This is book two of The Scientific Method series, and it features Will and the woman who captures his heart. And the struggles he has with that. One thing to note about this series is that it doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. At all. They all wrestle with their inner demons, and talk about it, and get stronger along the way. That’s one of the things that makes the books so good.
Candy Cane Kisses: A Holiday Anthology edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Amazon (print and ebook)* ~ Apple (ebook) ~ Barnes & Noble (ebook) ~ Kobo (ebook)
A collection of mostly sweet holiday romance short stories that I really enjoyed. At least, the ones that I got through. I didn’t get through the whole book, but I’m going to save it for next year when I’m in the mood for holiday romance again. But I’m sure the second half will be as good as the first half. They were all great, but here’s the ones that stood out to me:
Ice Dancing and Crab Apple Sorbet by Melissa Yi – a story of two figure skaters trying to make a relationship work in the spotlight. It reminded me of the movie The Cutting Edge, but it was its own story. It packed a lot of history into one short story, and was very well done.
A Little More Aloha by Julia Vee – a fun visit to Hawaii.
Trapped Between Book Lovers by Stefon Mears – as a book lover who loves used bookstores, I loved this story!
She Wanted It to Be Perfect by Ron Collins – a touching FF romance with a bit of science fiction.
Love Hard
Netflix Original Video
This was a really fun Christmas holiday rom-com. The characters were fun, the romance felt fresh to me, I laughed, and wound up really rooting for them at the end. It even poked at some really common rom-com tropes it a way that felt so interesting. I enjoyed it a lot.
What have you read and watched this month? Hit reply and let me know if you have something fantastic!
Hi Wild Ones! I read and watched some fun ones this month. And wound up thinking about consent and how consent was portrayed during each and every one of them, and all for different reasons. It was a very thoughtful month.
*Denotes an affiliate link, which means I earn a small commission from sales using this link.
Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper
Amazon (print, audiobook, and ebook)* ~ Apple (ebook, audiobook) ~ Barnes & Noble (ebook, audiobook, and print) ~ Chirp Audiobook ~ Google (ebook and audiobook) ~ Kobo (ebook and audiobook)
I really enjoyed the writing and authorship parts of this story. It’s always fun to see the process of writing explored in fiction, and this story was no exception. I also enjoyed the main character pining for the other character. So much tension about what would happen! It was a fun read overall, but it had a very unexpected angle, one that involved a serious discussion about consent and how that gets handled within a relationship. I won’t say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it did make me think about some of the ways we approach romance in popular media.
His Human Rebel by Renee Rose
Amazon (print, audiobook, and ebook)* ~ Apple (ebook) ~ Barnes & Noble (ebook and print) ~ Google (ebook) ~ Kobo (ebook)
This is book 4 of the Zandian Masters series, which deals with alien masters and human slaves in an alien galaxy. That premise obviously plays a lot with consent, and it does so in a way I like. Lots of readers like the kind of possessive alpha male that loves and punishes his woman as he sees fit. I like that books like Book Boyfriend exist to talk about the realities of healthy relationships in real life, while there are also books like His Human Rebel that can push my buttons in a safe way when I want that. There’s a place for both, as long as the reader has a good understanding of what’s healthy in real life.
Heartstopper Season 2
Netflix Original Video
Just like the first season, there was lots of fluffy twee queer romance of all kinds. I love these characters, and their friendships and their loves. It was a fun season overall.
SPOILERS! But this season also has a lot to say about trauma and consent issues. There are multiple instances of our main group actively excluding people from their lives who have hurt or traumatized them in the past, even when the offending party apologized for their actions.
The characters chose to keep their spaces safe from those people because they weren’t over the trauma and didn’t want to be around the others.
It was so unexpected and different from the typical narrative of what we’re taught (don’t make a scene, and if the other person apologizes you have to forgive and move on so that everyone can be friends) that it took me by surprise. It felt uncomfortable to me at first, wrong.
So I thought about why that was. And then I realized what the show was doing: it was actively modeling healthy boundaries in a way I don’t think I’ve seen before on TV. At least, not exactly in that way, not in a show about teenagers that’s probably aimed mostly at teenagers (though adults can definitely enjoy it). Most shows would have had the group forgive the past bullies and invite them in, and everyone would be friends. That’s what I expected, but why should trauma victims feel pressured to forgive and befriend their bullies? The show is educating through demonstration. It took me by surprise, but it’s wonderful to see.
What have you read and watched this month? Hit reply and let me know if you have something fantastic!
Hi Wild Ones! So much here for you to pick from. This month had some very unexpected down time. I spent half the time reading, and the other half catching up on movies.
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Kushiel’s Justice by Jacqueline Carey
Amazon (print, audiobook, and ebook)* ~ Apple (ebook, audiobook) ~ Barnes & Noble (ebook, audiobook, and print) ~ Google (ebook and audiobook) ~ Kobo (ebook)
This is the second book in the Imriel trilogy, Kushiel’s Legacy. It’s a long, detailed look at love, duty, and what we owe ourselves when it comes to making choices for our lives. There’s a lot of adventure here, but it also gets really heavy in the way that Carey does so well. The story got so deep, and I loved all the introspection. I always enjoy visiting this world, and I enjoyed this book, too.
The King’s Delight by Sarah Honey
Amazon (print and ebook)*
A fun, light, kinky royal romance that was so cute I just breezed through it. I really enjoyed Leo and Felix, and they kept me company on my lunchtime reads for a few days.
Red, White & Royal Blue
Amazon Original Video
I laughed, I swooned, I cried. I really enjoyed this one a lot. It was everything I wanted in a gay rom-com, or just a rom-com period. I wound up loving Alex and Henry and when I started I wasn’t really expecting that. Definitely recommended if you’re looking for the warm fuzzies.
Bros
Amazon Original Video
And then I watched Bros, which couldn’t have been more different, but was also perfect. It’s full of queer history and lived experience and the awkwardness of finding someone who’s nothing like what you thought you were going to find. I deeply loved them in the end for all their realness. Definitely recommend watching.
Love Again
Amazon Original Video
After that came Love Again, which went how I thought it would in some ways but was still a heartfelt revelation on love and loss. Prianka Chopra was so beautiful to watch. I could look at her face all day. And it reminded me how much I do love Celine Dion. Compelling and unexpectedly witty.
What have you read and watched this month? Hit reply and let me know if you have something fantastic!
Hi Wild Ones! Happy 4th, if you’re in the US. If not, I hope your summer/winter is going well. I’ve finally gotten some time to post a new recs post. I finished that super long novel I mentioned last time and really wanted to share it with y’all.
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Kushiel’s Scion by Jacqueline Carey
Amazon (print, audio and ebook)* ~ Apple (ebook) ~ Apple (audio) ~ Barnes & Noble (print, audio and ebook) ~ Chirp ~ Google (print, audio and ebook) ~ More Stores ~ Kobo (ebook and audio)
This was the looong book I mentioned before – and it really is long. It is so, so worth it though. First: some background: this is the first book of the second trilogy set in Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel universe. The Kushiel world is a fantasy re-imagining of France filled with beautiful people who just love each other and strive to enjoy all of life’s pleasures. When they’re not fighting for the crown and fending off invasions, of course. That quote comes from an article introducing the first book of the first series, Kushiel’s Dart, with some basics on the world and characters. Kushiel’s Dart focuses on Phedre, a young lady who’s a kinky, queer, courtesan spy. Yeah, it’s complicated. There’s politics and intrigue and adventure and sex (queer and het) and kink in the whole series. It’s a massive fantasy world with a deeply sexual element to it where the sex is integral to the story in surprising ways.
Kushiel’s Scion is the beginning of Imriel’s story, a young noble man coming of age and dealing with a traumatic and traitorous history at the same time – along with his own sadistic and dominant nature. It’s a gentle beginning to his story, which gets a lot more intense in the relationship area in the second book (I’ve already started reading that one). Scion has great characters, fun intrigue, and a lot of adventure. It’s a great read.
I highly recommend the world of Kushiel to anyone who likes really epic fantasy. Dart would probably be the best book to start with, but Scion can stand alone and is a great book in its own right. Either way, pick one of them up if you want to get lost in an epic read.
Smiley
I absolutely loved this. A wrong-number voicemail connects a hot bartender and a sentimental architect. It’s a lovely queer odd-couple show that’s hot, sweet, and full of other characters (both queer and het) that I really enjoyed. It’s great for when you want something light and fun with a great ending – although I hope there’s another season because one little thing felt unresolved for me with some side characters. Overall it was a lot of fun.
What have you read and watched this month? Hit reply and let me know if you have something fantastic!
Hi Wild Ones! My reading time has sadly been lacking this month. I haven’t gotten any steamy novels finished (though I’m reading a LONG one that’s looking to be VERY interesting – I’ll report on it when I’m done). But I did enjoy the movie I recced. And also, I was thinking I’d start mentioning non-fiction articles that I’ve enjoyed that I think you guys would also like. So that’s at the bottom.
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This was a fun romcom. It was enjoyable light viewing, with some heartwarming moments. I like Lopez as an actress. She’s fun, and charming. Also, she looks damn good, and that doesn’t hurt. But really, I got exactly what I wanted from this: Some laughs, a couple of hot moments, and a good love story at the end.
What is PolySaturation, and How Do You Know When You’re There?
This is an excellent article on Medium that discusses knowing how many partners is enough for you. I wasn’t familiar with the term, but when I read it I immediately recognized what it was and the importance of understanding it for yourself if you’re polyam. Click above for the definition, some examples, and some advice on how to handle polysaturation. A great article if you’re interested.
What have you read and watched this month? Hit reply and let me know if you have something fantastic!
Hi Wild Ones! Happy New Year! It’s been a few months since I did a reading post, so I’m happy to be back. Unfortunately, I also haven’t read a whole lot! I once heard a television writer say that they started writing for TV because they loved it so much, but then they were so busy at work they didn’t have time to watch TV anymore! I feel for that person, because I’m in the same boat. Whenever I have spare time at the end of the day I try and use it for writing, not reading, so I’m not reading nearly as much as I used to. Sad, but all the hard work will eventually give you guys something new to read!
*Denotes an affiliate link, which means I earn a small commission from sales using this link.
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Amazon* ~ Apple (ebook) ~ Apple (audio) ~ Barnes & Noble (print, audio and ebook) ~ Chirp ~ More Stores ~ Kobo* (ebook and audio)
This was such a fun, warm read. I loved Ayesha and her family, and I really enjoyed Khalid. This is really a sweet romance, but the chemistry between them was wonderful. Ayesha longing to write was a bit of her character that I enjoyed a lot! 🙂 I thought the parallels to Pride and Prejudice were well done, but not heavy-handed. A really fun book.
Indian Matchmaking
This goes really well with Ayesha at Last, as it’s a Netflix series about an Indian matchmaker and the young clients and families she works with. I watched it before I started Ayesha, and I’m glad I did. It gave me a glimpse into this part of Indian culture that I didn’t know anything about. It’s reality TV so who knows how much of it is staged or not, but it really seemed to have a genuine feel, with some good takeaways: you have to compromise in love, but you can’t give yourself away in the process. It was a delightful show.
Last Christmas
I really loved this movie. It had such unexpected humor, and the romance was not at all what I expected. I loved the musical soundtrack (all George Michael!), and the characters were totally quirky and fun. It was a great movie, and I can see myself watching it again next year.
The Next 365 Days
And now the best for last: the sexy one. This is definitely the sexy one of this set of recommendations – and the sex is probably the best part about it. I’ve previously written about the other movies, and in this one the plot thickens. Or tries to. It’s still far more flash over substance – and what gorgeous flash it is. This has probably the hottest threesome scene I’ve ever seen. I loved it. But as for plot, there are choices for Laura to make in the movie – what will she do? SPOILERS AHEAD!
That’s actually a question , because I don’t know. The ending of the movie was… a complete cliffhanger where she doesn’t choose either one of them officially. It was baffling to watch. I thought maybe I’d just completely misunderstood the ending, but nope. There basically isn’t an ending. Is there going to be a 4th movie? No one seems to know. At first I was irritated by that. Now I’m not. I’m imagining she picks both, and there’s a rough patch where the two men have to learn to get along together as her partners, but then they do and it’s hot threesomes for ever and ever. That’s the ending I want, and I’m pretty sure I won’t get it if they do a fourth movie. I kinda sorta think Netflix might go there, based on the threesome scene from this movie, but I also kinda doubt it. No one really ever takes movies into the kind of polyam/threesome type relationship like they could, so I doubt Netflix will do it. But Netflix does like to be kind of edgy, so maybe they will? We can only dream.
If this is the last movie… I’m not too sure I’m too fussed about it. I didn’t expect anything besides sex when I started the series, and the series definitely delivers on the hot sex. So I got what I wanted in that regard. I was hoping for a fun plot, and then at the end I was really hoping for some actual multi-partner screen time. The plot has been thin overall, and who knows if they’ll go the polyam rout? But I still enjoyed the hell out of the sex, so I’m ok. Did you watch them? What do you think?
What have you read and watched this month? Hit reply and let me know if you have something fantastic!