Books

Book 1,029: Racing into Love (Cut to the Feeling #1) – Noah Steele

Oof. Steele is hit or miss for me, and this was a HUGE miss. After reading Heartthrob back in late 2022, I knew I wanted to read more by Steele, but it seems he’s only just hit his stride with Heartthrob, because this one was just not good and the middle one Catch Me If I Fall was mediocre, and I think that had more to do with timing than the book itself.

On the surface I should’ve loved Racing Into Love, awkward bookstore owner Aiden, is forced to face his fears when he meets athlete/race car driver Derrek, in order for them to be together.

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Books

Book 1,028: Up to Snow Good (Snow Way in Hell #2) – Charlie Novak

After reading Snow Way in Hell so that I could finally read this one, it was worth it. I’m always going to be a sucker for a holiday romance and an illustrated cover. Throw in Europe and chocolate/food and I’m 100% going to read it. This book picks up not long after Snow Way in Hell and tells us Max’s story, the brother of Tarquin and best friend of George, Tarquin’s fiancé.

Max has got it in his head to do something fancy for Tarquin and George and is stomping on toes left and right, including Luca’s, the local owner and confectioner of the chocolate shop. Thankfully, he shows some self-awareness and goes back to apologize and that kicks off the adorable chaos that becomes their relationship. Luca’s a grumpy overworked big bear of a guy who’s just trying to get by and Max is a wealthy, over the top golden retriever, happy go lucky go with the flow guy; and they somehow work together.

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Books

Book 1,027: Heartstopper, Vol. 5 (Hearstopper #5) – Alice Oseman

Where do I even start with this series. I’ve read the first four volumes multiple times. With each new release I hold my breath and cross my fingers that Oseman doesn’t somehow pull the rug out from under us. She definitely didn’t this time, it’s just more unadulterated queer joy and I am here for it.

In Volume 5, Nick and Charlie have to come to terms with the fact that Nick is wrapping up secondary school and has to start thinking about his future. And that future includes university options all over the country. What that means for their relationship has yet to be seen.

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Books

Book 1,026: Snow Way in Hell (Snow Way in Hell #1) – Charlie Novak

I read this because Novak’s novel Up to Snow Good caught my attention and I realized this came first and introduced some of the characters in the second, so figured why not. Plus, when you add in it’s a short story/novella and it includes a protagonist of color, I grabbed it and blazed through it.

Snow Way in Hell is the story of Tarquin, a PhD pursuing academic, and his older brother, Max’s best friend, George, an Olympic snowboarder. Max drags them and a couple of asshat friends (thankfully they bail pretty quickly) on a three-day mess of a vacation.

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Books

Book 1,025: We Only Kiss at Christmas (Christmas Collection #2) – Con Riley

This is a shared universe story with His Last Christmas in London and I’m so happy that we got Seb and Patrick’s story! They were so adorably mismatched and perfect for each other in that first novel that I really hoped they would get their own.

Seb and Pat were Ian’s roommates from His Last Christmas in London. Seb is smaller and feisty and has a whole history we learn about in this novel, and Pat is a big teddy bear trying to get his personal training/fitness business off the ground.

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