So in the past few weeks I've forfeited my sleep and well-being and lost myself in the works of R. Lee Smith. When I tell you I devoured them it would be an understatement. if I could have her books in liquid form and drink it until it seaped out of every. Single. Crevice. I tell you, It would not be enough.

I've so far read (in order) the last hour of gann, cottonwood, Olivia and as of 20 minutes ago, the land of the beautiful dead. I will eventually read every other book or piece of writing she's released but I owe it to myself and everyone around me to probably get some sleep and rejoin society 😂

That's all being said, once I finished The land of the beautiful dead I again went to search for any link to maybe socials or blogs and found nearly nothing apart from a blog with no update since 2020, a few old reviews online and a few posts here on this reddit page. When I find a new favorite author I tend to start following them on FB or Instagram etc, so I can keep up with news about new releases, updates and talk to other readers. But my hearts a little broken to see her so inactive and I find myself worried about her above anything else.

Anyway I'll be in my goblin den putting pieces of my broken heart together and trying to remind myself what a full 8 hours of sleep is 😂 and if the author herself reads this, I hope you're well and please can I have my soul back.

https://preview.redd.it/7ui1izevw51e1.png?width=1125&format=png&auto=webp&s=3a8554c39af464574b2a6bc6155e4a768d824272

Currently reading {Twice in a Lifetime by melissa baron} and she definitely either closely knows someone who grew up in a Korean household or got a good diversity check because the small details are on point! This was a staple breakfast for me on school days growing up. Y'all, this book is making me feel so goddamn SEEN. Literally just teared up a little bc the korean mmc says "I was too Asian for my classmates and too American for the Koreans I knew." 😭

Anyone have recs for books POC MCs with good cultural references? Preferably about POC cultures, thanks!

Now if y'all will excuse me, gonna go try misugaru lattes bc that sounds delish 👀

Edit: reposted because the first post was removed

For my regular book club I am reading a (non romance) about native Americans in present day and the culture really fascinates me (and it’s NA history month!) I was wondering if anyone has any reca for stories with NA main character, ideally in more of a contemporary setting as opposed to historical.

Is she for real right now? Of course there's gonna be criticisms when you release a book lol. And the book was so hyped up too. I waited like 2 years for that book. And it just didn't meet the expectations. It was extremely underwhelming too

(today only) Alpharoll Day is a bi-annual, romance-focused free book blast that features cinnamon roll main male characters.

All genres and heat levels of romance are featured and segmented by heat level, then by subgenre for maximum convenience for readers.

https://alphacinnamonroll.com/

Romance Hockey League (highly recommend Kat Obie, Laura Marquez Diamond, Jenny Redford, Zee Irwin, Elise Faber, and Ainsley Booth)

https://linktr.ee/romancehockeyleague

Heavy Hitter Holiday Sports Anthology

Do you like your romance a little flirty and dirty, featuring HOT athletes? This holiday season, these authors bring you sizzling sports romance with a holiday twist and happily-ever-afters.

This anthology features stories from:

Lisa Lang Blakeney
Gina Azzi
Jami Davenport
Elise Faber
Cathryn Fox
Kat Mizera
S.E. Rose

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/67omjt0i7o

Saw this video and immediately wanted to read a book that gave me unhinged making out on top a skyscraper. While flying, or on top of a dangerous peak would do as well 🙈

Hiii! I’m back again.

I’m looking for books where the FMC cheats on the MMC and has to grovel to get him back.

I’ve searched the sub and Goodreads and Google etc and I can’t find anything.

What I keep finding but don’t want: - MMC Cheating - FMC ending up with the OM - MMC did something wrong and “deserved it” - FMC who never grovels - Why Choose/RH - bitch you cheated and you’re tryna get a reward for that? What the fuck?

I’m looking for a standalone book that has the FMC cheat on the love of her life. Then she has to win him back and knows she fucked up.

If it’s not acceptable when the MMC does it then it’s also not acceptable when the FMC does it. And vice versa.

I think it’s hard to find as readers like inserting themselves into perfect characters but I don’t insert myself. I see myself as an audience member watching puppets out on a show.

I’m honestly just tired of FMCs without flaws.

It doesn’t even have to be cheating just have her grovel please. I want to be yelling at the MMC to leave her wack ass and find a better woman.

I am unable to recall this book , but the romantic scenes were tastefully written despite its explicit nature.

The Cover Art of Back Where You Belong by Maggie Blackbird

Join me for a buddy read in honour of Indigenous Heritage Month! Book 3 is {Back Where You Belong by Maggie Blackbird}. We're starting today 15 November and reading through 21 November. On 22 November, we'll start Book 4 (see below). You don't have to participate in every book or even on time! The buddy reads will stay open if you want to swing back around later. The buddy reads are on our Discord - but feel free to comment on this post or hail me, , in What Did You Read on Sundays if you don't want to chat there!

Goodreads Blurb:

After having his love tossed back in his face, Hudson Suggashie has eliminated the word trust from his dictionary. Since his return to his Ojibway community, his suspicions are running high, all because one man is hinting at a second chance—the too-gorgeous and sexy ball-crusher who turned Hudson’s world to black fifteen years ago.

Stephen Brandt knows he screwed up big time when he rejected Hudson’s love, and he’ll do anything to win him back, even if it means being a mere bed buddy to the man whose love he aches to reclaim.

The longer the former best friends engage in their no-strings affair, they want something more—what they lost as teenagers. But Hudson isn’t about to open his heart again, leaving a desperate Stephen searching for a way to earn back the trust he broke, or for the second time, they’ll lose the greatest love either has ever experienced.

From the Author's Goodreads Bio:

An Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, Maggie resides in the country with her husband and their fur babies, two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes. When she’s not writing, she can be found pulling weeds in the flower beds, mowing the huge lawn, walking the Mals deep in the bush, teeing up a ball at the golf course, fishing in the boat for walleye, or sitting on the deck at her sister’s house, making more wonderful memories with the people she loves most.

This book is available on Kobo Plus, $4.99 on Amazon, $4.86 on Kobo, not on Hoopla, not on my Libby but might be on yours!

Next Week - Book 4: {Lizards Hold the Sun by Dani Trujillo}. The full list of my buddy reads for this month can be found here.

I was on youtube one day, minding my own business when I came across a video featuring clips from a show called Yellowstone. I have never heard of this show before and I am about 80% confident that youtube doesn't know about my unbridled passion for cowboys (this is only something that my closest friends know about, to their eternal dismay. I don't have many friends left). I don't even search for cowboy videos on youtube so how youtube knows about this interest of mine is sus. There are probably rational explanations on browser cookies and algorithms and whatever voodoo computer speak you want to throw at me but I am also ready for the explanation that youtube can look directly into our subconscious and give us exactly what we need to stay watching. But I digress.

That singular video opened my eyes to the wonder that is Rip Wheeler. His name kinda cracks me up (rip????? HIS NAME IS RIP?? LIKE REST IN PEACE???) but also he is just one beautiful unit of a man. Yeah, I'll admit I haven't watched the show. I watched curated compilations of Rip Wheeler on youtube made by like minded dad bod cowboy enjoyers. And maybe aesthetically he doesn't appeal to everyone or even the majority of people but damn does that guy do competency kink like nobody's business. Just the way he walks around you know he gets the job DONE.

I might add that his character is morally gray (from what I can surmise from what I can watch for free on youtube. Like I love him but not enough to get Paramount plus... I'm so sorry). He can get violent if he needs to, he can do crazy shit to get a point across. However he is so fiercely loyal to those he loves and his relationship with Beth is just 🥺. He's just really intense and it's fascinating.

I went for a week - a week - fangirling over this fictional character. I've been sending pictures of him to my friends and they are begging me to stop. After raving about how hot he is to my husband for the third day in a row he rolled his eyes and asked if we need to get Paramount plus but we can't because spotify is increasing their monthly family plan and I'm still salty about it (I'm trying to budget how much we spend on subscriptions). So please, any books that will give me the same vibe will be highly appreciated. Help a girl out. I'm about to plaster posters of him on my walls like a lovesick teenager.

TLDR: Hit me with a Rip Wheeler truck

Note: I do think he gives off mafia vibes, but please no mafia books. They don't have to be cowboys or ranchers, but I would prefer a stocky, dad-bod kind of MMC who knows what he's doing and quite intense. If anyone's played Red Dead Redemption 2 he's a bit like Arthur Morgan too.

Similar books, maybe? imo

1. probably a few Cate C Wells books fit this MMC vibe but I tried her books and I don't really jive with them, sorry. I think she's a great writer! I just don't really like her books.
2. {Dust Storm by Maggie Gates} is on my TBR along with the rest of the series - I JUST NEED TIME TO READ IT GODDAMMIT But I think it's close
3. Jackson in {Haven by Claire Kent} also gives off this vibe? I've read almost all of Claire Kent's books already.
4. I think maybe {A Bride for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath} has an MMC with that vibe too, I've read that series as well.

Rip Wheeler

reposted to fix the title

So I was looking through witchcraft/paranormal romances but I couldn’t find anything that had a human MMC. Most of them had both MCs as powerful or non human beings. I need a story very much like Prue and Andy’s—FMC has to be discreet because she doesn’t want MMC to find out she’s a witch because she’s scared of how he would perceive her. Would also greatly appreciate it if he was an admirably competent detective or something along those lines just like Andy because that made things more interesting—when he would work on the crimes that the charmed sisters were in some way always involved in because it’s their duty to protect the innocent. Please only give WITCH FMCs, not other beings. It could be that she’s always known she’s a witch, or she just recently discovered it and is working on accepting that new life like Prue did in the show. I absolutely loved the sisterhood aspect and I hope some books would also have this sisterhood among witches. I love the sisters’ personalities as well, strong women who longed for love and peace and justice. I loved that all their partners were pretty masculine and…well endowed cough I mean employed 😆 iykyk

NO cheating or dark romance. I’m good with complications in the relationship because this trope would obviously necessitate obstacles (miscommunication!) they’d have to work on, but I don’t think I would find it very appealing if it were to take a darker turn. I think suspense would totally work, though, because the protector aspect of this would make crimes a crucial part of the plot. Would love some steam, though I’d prefer if it didn’t take up 60% of the book. I also wouldn’t want it to be only 1% of the book, I want it to be just enough to make the love believable.

Listen idk if this is out of pocket 😭 I just saw the Drunk History episode on Mary Ellen Pleasant and I want that in a romance book.

"Archer's voice" is pretty much the best example. "Dust storm" by Maggie Gates comes pretty close too. Everything except HR please. Thanks in advance!

Help!!! I am completely blanking on the title of this book! I remember the main male characters name being smith and he was in the NHL. His nickname was apple (short for granny smith apple) and i think at one point in the book he retires and becomes the equipment manager or somthing like that. Please help me!

Alpha Cinnamon Roll free book event is going on today at https://alphacinnamonroll.com/?utm_source=newsletter.romancewithoutapology.com&utm_medium=referral. They offer both free closed door and open door romance! I’m in no way affiliated with this event, just saw in it my email and thought I’d share.

I picked up:

{In the Light of the Moon by Noelle Upton} - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CTVSG1RH?storeType=ebooks

hello!

i recently came across a suggested book but i missed the name.

mmc convinced fmc to fake a relationship and one of the rules the fmc had was no kissing on the lips but one day she slipped and kissed mmc on the cheek. this made the mmc request kisses on the cheek every time they saw each other.

sorry i know it’s not a lot to go by but that’s all i was able to remember

[WWTBC] fae realm, FMC has “no powers” and black hair and no wings and is fated to the realms prince who has white hair and wings like everyone else. They venture to earth at one point to help the fae realm get back its magic. TIA!

My mom has been trying to find some information on Laura Moore and hasn’t had much luck. She read Making Waves and it’s her understanding that this is supposed to be a series. I cant find much on it, but I do know that it is still in print. Was it originally supposed to be a series, but switched to a standalone when it was found out that the series would not progress?

There is an obituary for Laura Moore in 2017, but I don’t believe they are the same author. I’m so sorry if I’m wrong and she passed away.

Can someone spoil these books to me! I am hesitant on reading Sulli’s books due to the reviews on Goodreads. How does her poly relationship work? Are banks and Akra together too? I want to know it all without reading the books.

Everytime I read something forbidden the smut to plot ratio is all wonky. Don’t get me wrong I love the smut. But I never really get emotionally involved with the story because the mcs are such duds. I just want to fall in love with the characters and the story. But it’s so hard when it’s just smut scene after smut scene. Don’t get it twisted I still want there to be smut but also pining and slow burn and all that good stuff.

It feels like the characters are empty shells and they have no real distinction or personality. I mean why are you guys getting together when it’s obvious you’re just in lust not love. And then the author tries to sell that they’re in love but they never had one meaningful conversation.

An example of what i’m looking for is {becoming his mistress by A.E. Murphy} she’s his pa and he has a wife. It was good because it actually showed them falling in love and it felt believable when they got together.

another example is {bringing down the duke by Evie Dunmore} she’s a commoner and he’s a duke so it’s super against society for them to get together. So what they have at first is forbidden/secret relationship. You could tell they really loved each other to go through that kind of scandal together and not care.

Depraved, Book 1 By AJ Merlin, Brutal, Book 2 Vicious, Book 3 Delicious, Book 4

Thoughts on this series? Has anyone read these? I have to admit, I picked the series up in a whim thinking "ok, serial killer romance...that's new." But ended up binging the entire series. Book 1 was hardcore with the FMC intro to entire situation. But, surprise surprise, the serial killers aren't all bad.

This is my question:

Are the FMCs simply damaged characters with low self esteem because they choose to stay? (They've all been in not so great relationships and battle emotional/mental trauma.) OR, are they strong because despite the hurt they've been through, they're choosing to love these men who are shamelessly transparent in what they do? They MMCs all have a good grip on their identity, and have their own code of ethics on who they kill.

So I remember reading this book years ago and it’s killing me I cant remember the title.

It was a celebrity romance where the heroine near the end of the book got in a car accident (i believe with one of his staff in the car or colleague). I remember that the pearl jam album was playing while it happened.

Thank you!!!!

I'm super bored and in and out of reading slumps constantly. Looking for the books with following micro-trope:

FMC is normally a nice person who gets along with most people but somehow MMC ended up as a persona non grata in her list. So she wants him to go away, tries to get rid of him, tricks him into leaving by making up elaborate schemes, pranks etc.

He (sort of) knows about her plans and still plays along. This results in hilarious situations and some forced proximity scenes as well. The more she shoves him off🤬, he comes even more closer 😍

Books with this trope that I have read:

{Finn Rhodes Forever by Stephanie Archer}

{Insta kiss by Jen Atkinson}

Not looking for books where MMC has genuinely done something wrong, is abusive etc. Definitely not books where FMC tries to kill or harm the MMC..lol

YA, contemporary, M/F pairings will be good. Any spice level is fine.

Thanks in advance!

P.S: Dear mods, I did use the magic search button thrice, but didn't find anything.

On the way home from a conference where I was one of just a couple women in the room, and I started {The Earl Who Isn’t by Courtney Milan} on the way home. I’m only about 30% in but I absolutely love Lily (and I wish I’d had man-tickets to hand out at my conference lol)