CazReadingRm

Need You Close (Second Chance Ranch #3) by Annabeth Albert Friends don’t let friends fall for each other. Two of my closest friends have recently paired off with partners of their own, and I need a new friend in the worst way. I’m busy carrying on my father’s large-animal veterinary practice and our family legacy, but the loneliness is getting to me. Carson Jennings might be my friend’s younger brother, but we hit it off immediately upon his return to Lovelorn, Colorado.

NEED YOU CLOSE by Annabeth Albert. A low-angst, low-stakes hurt/comfort romance that's nice enough but ultimately unmemorable. :( #mmromance #romancelandia

Stealing His Thunder (Toronto Thunder #2) by Beth Bolden (audiobook – narrated by Darcy Stark) Can rookie Cam’s sunshine steal veteran Dawson’s thunder? Kicker Dawson Hall is ready to leave his past in the dust. His last season was catastrophically bad, with the distraction of his divorce and discovering that his father-in-law wasn’t managing his money—he was stealing it, instead. He signs with the Toronto Thunder, poised for his redemption arc, but he’s grumpy and frustrated he has to undertake one at all.

STEALING HIS THUNDER by Beth Bolden/narrated by Darcy Stark - not my favourite from this author; low-angst, low-conflict with not much plot or chemistry. The narration is great, but I won't be coming back to this one :( #mmromance #romancelandia #audiobook

I commented over on AO3, but when I found you here I had to come to tell you again, how much I loved this story!

Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian Simon and Charlie, actors on a long-running sci-fi show, can’t stand one another. Charlie is impetuous, outgoing, and basically feral, and Simon thinks he should have stayed in reality television where he belongs. They’ve spent the better part of a decade quarreling over the spotlight and pretty much everything else, and everybody in the industry knows it. Now that Simon’s contract is finally done, he can move to New York, start fresh with work he actually likes, and get away from Charlie.

If you’re in the mood for an entire book in which you are basically a fly-on-the-wall to two people figuring out that their annoying long-time co-star is actually the love of their life, then @catswrites.bsky.social's STAR SHIPPED is the book for you. 10/10. No notes. #mmromance #romancelandia

Liberated (Enlightenment #6) by Joanna Chambers A dutiful duke-in-waiting George Asquith knows exactly who he is. The future duke. The responsible heir. The man who will marry well and manage his estates with quiet competence. He has built his entire life on fulfilling his duty. Ever since one terrible mistake taught him the cost of reaching for what he really wants. Now he shoulders his responsibilities without complaint and keeps his impossible desires locked away.

LIBERATED by @joannachambers.bsky.social: is a charming and tender slow-burn love story between two former school-mates with no overblown drama, sizzling chemistry & a beautifully developed romance. #mmromance #romancelandia

Fool’s Gold (Mis-shapes #2) by Fearne Hill When all your friends have plus-ones but you’re still figuring out step one. Alaric: Turning thirty doesn’t mean you have to grow up and be boring, right? Except if you ask all my friends, it does. They’re all busy coupling up and settling down, while I’m stuck cuddling up to strangers for a shot at a good night’s sleep. Only this state of utter desperation would lead me to move to middle-of-nowhere Sutton Common with the world’s most peculiar, boring man.

FOOL'S GOLD by @fearnehill.bsky.social - a funny, charming & sexy opposites-attract romance between a sassy motormouth and a reserved guy with an unusual hobby ;) #mmromance #romancelandia

The Promise of Together (Fisher & Church #3) by Jay Hogan I never dreamed I’d get a second chance at love. I scarcely believed in it the first time. Then Mads appeared from nowhere during one of the hardest times of my life, and everything I thought I knew about myself, about what I deserved, about who I wanted to become, was turned upside down. Falling for Mads was the easy part.

THE PROMISE OF TOGETHER by @jayhoganauthor.bsky.social - the compelling last instalment in the Fisher & Church series sees Nick and Mads finding trouble very close to home as they continue to find their way forward as a couple. Highly recommended! #mmromance #romancelandia

TBR Challenge: Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots by Cat Sebastian New York City, 1973 Daniel Cabot doesn’t really know what he’s doing with his life. He’s lost faith in himself, his future, and maybe the world. The only things he knows that he cares about are the garden in the empty lot next to his crumbling East Village apartment building and his best friend. Alex Savchenko has always known that he’s…difficult.

My February #tbrchallenge read: DANIEL CABOT PUTS DOWN ROOTS another fantastic 20thC historical from @catswrites.bsky.social - a warm, gentle ‘vibes over plot’ story featuring endearing leads, a charming supporting cast, and a vividly depicted setting full of interesting historical detail.…

Stolen Moments (Stolen Romance #1) by A.B. Jackson Alexander Morgan stands at the pinnacle of pop superstardom—desired by millions, envied by all. But behind the dazzling lights and deafening applause lies a man haunted by secrets. To the world, he's flawless, untouchable. In truth, he's barely holding on. Christopher Foster, back in London for his sister’s wedding, has his own ghosts to bury. He never expected to collide with Alexander’s turbulent orbit—nor to stir something in the superstar that refuses to stay hidden.

A.B. Jackson's debut, STOLEN ROMANCE was disappointing; closeted-for-the-sake-of-his-career rock star meets Mr. Ordinary is probably the best description. The parts looking at high-level fame are good, but the romance is pretty meh. #mmromance #romancelandia

Soft Launch (Hazardverse: Sidetracks) by Gregory Ashe It’s soft until it’s hard. Sam Yarmark is going to be a detective. He’s done everything right—the trainings, the homework, the performance evaluations. He’s even got a mentor. So, when the chief of police tells him his lack of community involvement might cost him the promotion, there’s only one thing to get involved. Fast. Gray Dulac is putting his life back together.

SOFT LAUNCH by Gregory Ashe - an funny, clever, insightful & sexy contemporary romance between two unlikely characters who become each other's rocks and greatest cheerleaders. @tekhnemakre.bsky.social #mmromance #romancelandia

Cold Heat (Cold Justice: Most Wanted #7) by Toni Anderson He's supposed to protect her. She doesn't trust him. But when a Russian terrorist targets a nuclear reactor, they'll have to risk everything—including their hearts. Ten years ago, FBI Hostage Rescue Team operator Jordan Krychek lost his family when a Russian arms dealer burned them alive. The monster vanished—until now. When a physicist is murdered at a conference in Mexico, Jordan recognizes the killer: Konrad Bocharov, the nightmare he's been hunting for a decade.

COLD HEAT by @toniandersonauthor - book 7 in the Most Wanted series; clever, stylish, well-paced and thoroughly entertaining. #romancelandia

Ski-Crossed Lovers (Love on the Podium) by Allison Temple Winners don't always come first. Canadian ski cross phenom Cedric Bérard has spent his life chasing speed, glory, and his best friend Austin down every mountain they could find. They’ve always pushed each other harder, faster, closer to the edge—until one night, Cedric falls in a different way. One kiss. One touch. A tumble into something neither of them planned for.

SKI-CROSSED LOVERS by Allison Temple; a friends-to-lovers/winter olympics-themed romance between two ski-cross champions that needed a bit more meat on the bones of the romance. #mmromance #romancelandia

Kiss Me Again by Garrett Leigh Aidan Drummond is happy on his own. A solitary tree surgeon, he’s made peace with working alone, eating alone, being alone. Until a serious accident tears his world apart and lands him in a hospital bed opposite the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. Ludo Giordano is beautiful, bright, and impossible to ignore. Bipolar and sleepless, his world is ruled by colour—shifting, vivid, relentless.

KISS ME AGAIN by @garrettleigh.bsky.social: a beautiful, angsty, slow-burn romance that delivers exactly the kind of complexity and emotional heft that I'm looking for. #mmromance #romancelandia

TBR Challenge: Delivered Fast (Portland Heat #3) by Annabeth Albert Sure, Chris O’Neal has problems. His restaurant is still co-owned by his ex. His flannel-and-tattoos style is making him accidentally trendy. He can’t remember the last time he went out and had fun. But he’s not lonely, he’s driven. And the hot bakery delivery boy is not his problem, no matter how sweet his buns. Chris is old enough to know Lance Degrassi’s sculpted good looks and clever double-entendre’s spell nothing but trouble.

My first #tbrchallenge read of 2026 - DELIVERED FAST by Annabeth Albert, a sexy, emotionally satisfying age-gap romance between a grumpy café owner and the sunshiny delivery guy. #mmromance #romancelandia

Skin Game (Subtle Deceptions #3) by Elle Keaton Gabriel Karne is cautiously optimistic. Life seems to be settling down into a nice even keel. It’s a new year and the former con artist has a permanent-for-now address. Even Keith-the-cat seems to like it there. No more rickety sailboats and living out of go-bags for Gabriel Karne. No surprises. No dead bodies. Romance-wise, he and Ranger Man are easing into being a couple.

SKIN GAME (Subtle Deceptions #3) by @ellekeaton.com - another entertaining, tightly-plotted instalment in PNW-set romantic suspense series which finds Gabe once again up to his neck in trouble. #mmromance #romancelandia

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All That Matters by Felice Stevens (audiobook) – Narrated by Kale Williams Nico Andretti knows one thing is true: Love is for fools. Being a tour bus guide in Times Square isn’t his dream job and he yearns for more than living in his mother’s basement apartment, but life is tough in the big city. At least the men on the bus are eye-candy galore, and they’re one and done. Why bother with seconds when you’ll only get hurt?

ALL THAT MATTERS by @felicestevens.bsky.social, a lovely, slow-burn romance featuring a strongly written secondary cast, and a villain you can love to hate, plus terrific narration from the always excellent Kale Williams. #mmromance #audiobook #romancelandia

2025 in Books & Audio According to my Goodreads stats, I read and listened to 270 books in 2025, and I'm pleased - again - to see that the vast majority were books I rated as "good" or more - 4 and 5 stars -  and that there are only a handful of 3/3.5 star "okay" reads and a small number of 2 stars and DNFs. 

Late (as usual), but here's my 2025 IN BOOKS & AUDIO - a pretty good year overall with plenty of good and excellent reads/listens and only a handful of underwhelming ones. #mmromance #romancelandia #audiobook

Top Shelf (Love the Game) by E.M. Lindsey No one ever explained to me what to do when the man who took your virginity turns out to be the one in charge of your physical therapy. NHL veteran Quinn Rhodes was supposed to be a one-time thing: just a hookup who kisses like a dream and screws like a god. Then, three weeks later, a freak accident threatens to destroy my debut NHL career before it begins.

TOP SHELF by E.M. Lindsey - warm, funny, cute and very sexy, the two leads are likeable & the secondary characters are well-drawn, but it didn’t quite hit the spot for me – partly, I think, because the romance is a bit insta-love-y. #mmromance #romancelandia

Hi, I'm adult onset asthma!

2025 Reading Challenge Round-Up 2025 was my 12th year taking part in the  TBR Reading Challenge hosted by Wendy the Superlibrarian and thought I'd have a look back at how it went before I start picking books for the 2026 challenge. I had pretty good results overall in 2025 - only one real disappointment, 4 A grades and the rest all in the B range (what I call the 'good' bracket)  which is a pretty good showing. 

A quick recap of the books I read for the 2025 #tbrchallenge: I had a pretty good year, with only one real dud and the rest all As and Bs. #romancelandia #mmromance #audiobook #historicalromance

Winter Cowboy by Kaje Harper Austin I made it to age eighteen as Frankie Morse—Frank, Junior—my dad's prized possession and sometimes punching bag. But only because Dad never knew I was gay. On my eighteenth birthday, I defied him, and ran. Crossed three states, in the miraculous gift of an old truck, before I ran out of gas outside the Star & Bar ranch in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

WINTER COWBOY by @KajeHarper - a thoughtful & emotionally satisfying age-gap romance #mmromance #romancelandia

Quickie Reviews #16 A couple of shorter-than-usual audiobook reviews. Starstruck: A Bluewater Bay Story by L.A. Witt (audiobook) - Narrated by Nick J. Russo Hollywood is full of dirty secrets, but Carter refuses to be Levi’s. Retired action star Levi Pritchard has made a quiet life for himself in the sleepy logging town of Bluewater Bay, Washington. But then Hollywood comes to film the wildly popular television series Wolf’s Landing, and Bluewater Bay isn’t so sleepy anymore.

More Quickie Reviews - audiobooks by L.A. Witt & E.M. Lindsey, both expertly narrated, although one worked better for me than the other. #mmromance #romancelandia #audiobook

Signs of Life (Resilient Love #2) by Melanie Hansen Successful lawyer Jeremy Speer has it all—a loving husband, a beautiful home, and a cherished dream that’s about to become reality. He’s learned not to take happiness for granted, meeting the challenges of life and love head-on with unwavering commitment and fierce devotion. A series of tragic events leave Jeremy shattered, adrift on a sea of unimaginable pain. He’s able to piece his life back together, but instead of embracing it, he merely exists, using isolation and punishing physical exertion to keep the world at bay.

SIGNS OF LIFE by Melanie Hansen - started really well and promised much, but kinda fizzled out. I did like some things about it, but it got a bit syrupy and bogged down in too much sex and not enough story. #mmromance #romancelandia

Kismet by Nicky James My name is Dominique Chevalier, and I am broken. Two years ago, a beloved part of me died. Angelique was everything, but she left me alone. Alone with an infant, a broken heart, unimaginable pain, and a promise that I’ll never forget. After relocating and taking a job as Ottawa’s chief forensic pathologist, I find purpose. I find escape from the anguish that threatens to drown me.

KISMET by @nickyjames.bsky.social - a superbly plotted emotional rollercoaster of a read featuring a twisty plot and a tender romance between complex, flawed characters. Unputdownable! #mmromance #romancelandia

Delayed Penalty (Scoring Chances #4) by Brigham Vaughn The last thing Thad Racine needs is to fall for a guy playing for his brother's hockey team ... As an ex-con, Thad’s had a rough life. Getting a job in the social media department of the Boston Harriers is his last-ditch effort at a fresh start. He may not be raking in money like his previously estranged twin—the team’s GM—but he finally has a career he likes, a regular paycheck, and some stability.

DELAYED PENALTY by @brighmanvaughn.bsky.social - a sexy, tender and thoughtful friends-to-lovers /bi-awakening romance. #mmromance #romancelandia

Perfect Storm (Toronto Thunder #1) by Beth Bolden (audiobook) – Narrated by Darcy Stark When the sexy little brother of Aidan’s best friend suggests a hookup pact, it's the perfect storm for a bi-awakening . . . Toronto Thunder quarterback Aidan Flynn always believed he was straight, until his close friend and favorite wide receiver signs with a team across the country. Distance opens his eyes and unlocks a desire he can’t deny. Even if his feelings aren’t returned, Aidan still wants to learn more about this part of himself.

PERFECT STORM by Beth Bolden, narrated by Darcy Stark - an entertaining opposites-attract / bi-awakening romance that's a bit overcrowded by shared-world characters that take time & focus from the leads #mmromance #romancelandia #audiobook

TBR Challenge – Second Act by Kaje Harper Sometimes you have to go home again. When Bryce Edwards left Minnesota for the bright lights of Hollywood ten years ago, he was determined not to look back. He's built a solid acting career through his own hard work and talent. But when he finds himself unemployed right before Christmas, the memories he's been ignoring start to rise up and annoy him.

For the final #tbrchallenge of 2025, I read SECOND ACT by Kaje Harper, a superbly written story of forgiveness, healing and finding new love. #mmromance #romancelandia

Colliding Hearts (Rainbow Redemption #3) by Jax Calder One voice kept me alive in the darkness. One Halloween night changed everything. One secret threatens to destroy it all. When my car plunges into a ravine, a stranger's chocolate-cake voice becomes my lifeline in the endless dark. But after I’m rescued, the mysterious paramedic vanishes without a trace, leaving me with nothing but scars and memories. After a year of avoiding mirrors and first dates, I manage to hook up with the hottest Darth Vader in existence while dressed as a surprisingly seductive Yoda.

COLLIDING HEARTS by @JaxCalderAuthor - a tender, heartfelt and heartrending romance that runs the gamut of emotions and had just enough angst to keep me eagerly turning the pages. #mmromance #romancelandia

The Inner Line (Throttle & Thrust #2) by Ryan Reed A fallen champion risks everything for love with the doctor who holds his career—and his heart—in his hands. Former world championship contender Jackson "Jax" West is running out of chances. Two years after a catastrophic crash, he's been relegated to an outlier team, dismissed by his tyrannical father, and haunted by demons that threaten to end his career for good. When he seeks anonymous escape in the exclusive thermal spas of Baden-Baden, the last thing he expects is to find solace in the arms of a mysterious stranger whose touch promises healing he never thought possible.

THE INNER LINE by Ryan Reed - romance set in the high octane world of F1 racing. Entertaining and steamy with some fab on-track scenes and a compelling plot. #mmromance #romancelandia