#Tal Bauer

[joyfulmile]

#leon draisaitl #matthew tkachuk #mattdrai #edmonton oilers #florida panthers #tal bauer #you and me by tal bauer #go read that book it’s honestly so good

[aurorawest]

Bargain of Blood and Gold by Kristin Jacques - 3.75/5 stars

Reminiscent of Jordan L Hawk's Widdershins series, but with vampires and werewolves. Also takes place in Maine, which isn't a very common setting. Unwittingly, I bought the second book in the series months ago, and I realized as it got to the top of my TBR that I didn't have the first book! I had to scramble to order it and I was happy I enjoyed it since, obviously, I already have the second book.

Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa - DNF at pg 2

Captive Prince by CS Pacat (reread) - 5/5 stars

Prince's Gambit by CS Pacat (reread) - 5/5 stars

Kings Rising by CS Pacat - 5/5 stars

I think I loved these books even more on my reread.

Gravity by Tal Bauer - 4.25/5 stars

Probably my favorite hockey romance that I've read.

The Modern Mythos Anomaly by Juniper Lake Fitzgerald - DNF at pg 132

I actually liked the story, the characters, and the writing in general, but this book just needed another few edits to slim it down a bit.

Lose You to Find Me by Erik J Brown - 4.5/5 stars

Leeward by Katie Daysh - 4.5/5 stars

The blurbs on this book are hilarious, because they're all like, tall ships people, and then Mackenzi Lee, hailing it as a lovely queer historical romance. This was a really lovely book and I'm excited for the sequel. Also hoping for more kissing in the sequel since this was a serious slow burn.

Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball by Jason June - 3.75/5 stars

Starseer by Katya Hernández - 4/5 stars

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala - 5/5 stars

I loved this book so much!! Oh my god. Super funny, very romantic. It revolves around cosplay which is of course a special interest of mine.

Northranger by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo - 4.5/5 stars

Flying Without a Net by EM Ben Shaul - 2.75/5 stars

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley (reread) - 5/5 stars

Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan - 4.75/5 stars

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. The graphic novels were good but changing to a novel format allowed for much deeper characters. Surprisingly devastating and also really funny.

The Old Haunts by Allan Radcliffe - 4/5 stars

The Gay Best Friend by Nicholas DiDomizio - 5/5 stars

Main character is the best friend of both the bride and the groom, and everything surrounding the wedding becomes a train wreck beginning on the weekend of the bachelor party, when the bride asks the MC, Dom, to keep tabs on the groom for her. As someone who is extremely conflict avoidant with friends but not family and romantic partners, I heavily related to Dom. There's also a romance that I really loved.

Romance Languages by AJ Truman - 4.25/5 stars

I think this was my favorite of the South Rock series. It deals with some more difficult topics—Julian's self-loathing over his body image is heartbreaking (and relatable), and Seamus's guilt over the way his gambling addiction hurt his ex was very well done. I'm a sucker for stories where a character learns to ask for help, not to mention difficult parent-child relationships, and this had both. I also appreciated Julian's arc re: sex and virginity.

Darkhearts by James L Sutter - 5/5 stars

Another bandmates-in-love treasure, with a twist—the main character, David, left the band right before they got famous. He ends up falling for one of his ex-friends/bandmates after they reconnect. The author is a musician himself, and it definitely shows (in a good way). I'm really a sucker for The Burdens of Fame, which this book definitely had, but there's actually a really good arc for David and how he deals with his jealousy and resentment over being left behind. Plus he wants to be a carpenter rather than go to college, which was cool.

Brute by Kim Fielding - 4.25/5 stars

We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian - 5/5 stars

What can I say about this book? Why was it so lovely? Why did it make me feel so much? Why can I not rate things higher than 5 stars? It's a million stars in my heart. Aside from just being a gorgeous mid-century America m/m romance (my favorite), this one features an Italian-American main character. The stuff with Nick's family was spot-on. I just loved this book. I felt like I was wrapping myself in a big, comfy, historical gay romance blanket.

Drowned Country by Emily Tesh - 5/5 stars

The sequel to Silver in the Wood. Had a very mythic and sort of folk horror vibe. This one is from Henry Silver's POV instead of Tobias Finch's and takes place two years after Silver in the Wood, which is time that Henry has mostly spent sulking in Greenhollow Hall, sans Tobias. Really highly recommend this duology. Emily Tesh is a treasure.

The Alchemy of Moonlight by David Ferraro - DNF at pg 11

#bargain of blood and gold #kristin jacques #captive prince #prince's gambit #kings rising #cs pacat #gravity #tal bauer #leeward #katie daysh #be dazzled #ryan la sala #fence #striking distance #sarah rees brennan #the gay best friend #nicholas didomizio #romance languages #aj truman #darkhearts #james l sutter #we could be so good #cat sebastian #drowned country #greenhollow duology #emily tesh #reading tag

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: M/M Hockey Romance

Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei (YA) Gravity and The Rest of the Story by Tal Bauer On the Board by Anna Zabo and L.A. Witt Penalty Box by Ari Baran Scoring Chances by Avon Gale

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#A.L. Graziadei #Anna Zabo #Ari Baran #Avon Gale #Contemporary Romance #Gravity #Hockey #Icebreaker #L.A. Witt #m/m Romance #On the Board #Penalty Box #Scoring Chances #Sports Romance #Tal Bauer #The Rest of the Story

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Being a whump writer means reading a really lovely short novel about two damaged men who fall in love and being really upset that the book had way too many sex scenes and not enough Character's Traumatic Whumpy Backstory nor Kidnapping Stalker Plot scenes.

Damn it, I wanted more Traumatic Backstory focus!

#ash rambles #whump #welp #back to rereading #Tal Bauer #FBI agent books again

[story-addict]

“Hi,” I squeak. “I wear your number.”  “Enchanté.” Bryce's grin grows. “I wear your number, too.” 

WHY IS THIS SO CUTE ?! ♥️

#gravity #tal bauer

[writeasiread]

2023 reading q&a

questions are from this ask game

all links go to the books’ goodreads page

1. How many books did you read this year?

220

2. Did you reread anything?

nope

3. What were your top five books/series of the year?

Little Bird Lost - Jessie Walker

The Way I Used to Be - Amber Smith

Curious (series) - Jess Savage

The Collector (series) - Dot Hutchison

Release (Stolen #2) - Lucy Christopher

4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

Jess Savage, Cora Rose, Tal Bauer, D.J. Jamison, Tiffany Reisz

5. What genre did you read the most of?

Romance (MM/gay mostly)

6. Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

I wanted to read more FF/sapphic romances but I couldn’t find many that gripped me

7. What was your average Goodreads rating?

3.89/5

Does it seem accurate? Definitely

8. Did you meet any of your reading goals?

Yes, 200+

9. Did you get into any new genres?

not really, there’s not much i haven’t already read

10. What was your favorite new release of the year?

impossible to pick just one

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

Carmilla & Laura - S.D. Simper

12. Any books that disappointed you?

many that i didn’t finish

13. What were your least favorite books of the year?

it feels petty to name them tbh

14. What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

i just finished Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha tonight (31/12/23)

15. Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year? What did you think of them?

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth was nominated for a few things I think. I enjoyed it a lot and rated it 4.25/5 stars ✨

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

Strange Sally Diamond - Liz Nugent

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

All of Cora Rose’s ‘Unexpected’ series and The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

18. How many books did you buy?

3-5 (I use Kindle Unlimited)

19. Did you use your library?

no, i only read ebooks

20. What was your most anticipated release?

Coming in Third (Hardwick Hall #1) - Jess Savage. It definitely met my expectations, 4/5 stars ✨

21. Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

no 😭 i tried and failed to joined booklr

22. What's the longest book you read?

Little Bird Lost - Jessie Walker (772 pages)

23. What's the fastest time it took you to read a book?

4hrs ish

24. Did you DNF anything? Why?

many things. kindle unlimited is a melting pot of books that deserve pulitzers and books that should’ve stayed on wattpad.

25. What reading goals do you have for next year?

unironically? read far less. participate in the real world.

…and to read 10< wlw romances.

#user: writeasiread #booklr #bookblr #book blog #read in 2023 #ask game #jessie walker #amber smith #jess savage #dot hutchison #lucy christopher #cora rose #tal bauer #D.J. Jamison #tiffany reisz #S. D. Simper #kit rocha #kate elizabeth

[honey-from-hell]

Picked up Secret Service by Tal Bauer because it looked like a shitty KU romance and sometimes that's what the soul needs.

Me, throughout the entire book:

#secret service #tal bauer

[dawnlibrary]

The Jock by Tal Bauer

Summary:

Wes Van de Hoek clawed his way off his family’s West Texas ranch under the Friday night lights, earning a football scholarship to the state’s best university. Three years in, he has it all: he’s the starting tight end, team captain, and, according to ESPN, maybe the best college football player in the nation. But he’s been keeping a secret from everyone. Justin Swanscott has three certainties in his life: he’s gay, football is overrated, and he really, really doesn’t like cowboys. He should never have fallen into Wes’s open-range eyes or let his heart run wild when Wes gave him that shy little smile over summer. But he couldn’t stop himself. Everyone’s asking questions about Wes this season: How is he playing so well? Will Texas be undefeated this year? Will he take the team all the way to the national championship? What’s next for him? The truth? Wes isn’t dreaming about an NFL contract. His heart belongs to Justin, even though the world wants it to belong to football. Wes has stadiums packed with screaming fans, ESPN is all over him, and the NFL wants him badly. He’s living under a microscope, and the pressure keeps building as the team keeps winning. Everyone wants something from him, but all Wes wants is to love Justin. Something’s gotta give.

The first time I read this one was in 2022. I’ve read it twice this year and it’s a high possibility that I go for a third. I just fell in love with Wes and Justin, as individuals and as a couple. The way they support each other is beautiful.

#the jock #tal bauer #the jock by tal bauer #books #reading #booklr #mm romance #queer romance #sports romance

[scorbleeo]

Book Review: You & Me

by Tal Bauer

Source: Google Images

We're a puzzle made of two pieces.

Landon Larsen is the envy of all the dads in Last Waters, Texas. He's cool, confident, and put together. He and his son—the high school's all-star quarterback—have the perfect father-son relationship. He’s such a Super Dad, it's almost sickening.

I'm not cool, or confident, and my relationship with my son couldn't be worse. He's barely speaking to me, and a year after my wife died, we're both clinging to the wreckage of our family.

Landon's son and mine are best friends and—of course—Landon is the football Team Dad. And though I know nothing about football, Landon convinces me to volunteer to be closer to my son. Volunteering might give him and me a chance to rebuild what's broken between us. Now I'm spending all my free time with the team—and with Landon—and the more we're together, the deeper our friendship grows. My son is opening up, too, little by little. I think I’m getting him back.

There's just one giant problem.

I'm head over heels for Landon.

I've never been attracted to men in my life… until him. Landon draws me in without even trying, and the harder I fight this, the deeper I fall.

Crushing on my son's best friend's father must be my biggest parenting failure ever, but I can't get enough of Landon. Falling for him puts each fragile moment I've rebuilt with my son at risk. What would he think if he knew I craved his best friend's dad? I'm playing with fire, but I can't turn off these feelings Landon has unlocked inside of me.

Of course, a guy like Landon could never fall for someone like me. It's pointless to even imagine we could be something together.

So why did I just kiss him?

Source: Goodreads (2022)

Cute, Heartwarming, Touching, Wholesome

I went into You & Me for Luke's relationship with Landon but it was Luke's relationship with his son, Emmet that stayed with me after. I am a very family-oriented person so it is a no-brainer I would enjoy You & Me for the relationships between both fathers and their sons.

This is my first Bauer novel, I have never heard of him even before deciding on reading this book so I really did not know what I was getting into in terms of writing style. Reading You & Me, it is not hard to get connected with the characters at all. Hell, I even began sobbing before chapter 1 was done. What I liked about Bauer's writing was how he emotionalised his words. I don't think I have ever felt for a father character more than I did for Luke and the struggles he had with Emmet. Bauer reminded me a father is also a parent and honestly, other than that few rotten seeds, which parent do not want a connection with their children? I was tearing up so often because I saw how much both father and son were suffering from their estranged relationship. I really hated Riley and thought "good riddance" early on in the book.

As for Luke and Landon's relationship, I really love them together right from chapter 1. Unfortunately, I wanted more before Luke realised his feelings. And when both men finally got together, I wanted more of them together without the makeout or the sex. You know what else I wanted more of? I wanted more communication between Luke and Emmet when Emmet showed his father the drawing. I also wanted more of Luke talking to Bowen without the presence of Landon or Emmet. Now that I think about it, I just wanted more, more pages and words to this story.

I finished this book in less than 12 hours and maybe I should not have read it so quickly...

Rating: ★★★★☆

#book review #you & me #you and me #tal bauer #luke hale #landon larsen #emmet hale #bowen larsen

[back2backagain]

Jack, Ethan, Sergey, Sascha, Adam and Faisal all have one goal - stop Madigan @talbauerwrites #talbauer #enemywithin #executiveoffice #lgbt #mmromance #kirkwoodealesreads #bookswithqueercharacters #kindle

#lgbtqia #kindle books #bookaddict #books with queer characters #mmromance #readers of tumblr #kirkwoodeales reads #tal bauer #executiveofficeseries #enemywithin

[yayimallamaagain]

#mm romance #books #reading #read 2023 #January's books #new books i read #im keeping track this year or at least trying to lol #we'll see how long it lasts #i actually read more if we count re listening to old audiobooks #while i actually get some crocheting done we'll see how long that lasts too lol #tal bauer #eden finley #jay hogan #silvia violet #alice winters #rliey hart #diana roman #i kinda want to do reviews too.....but im so bad at wording

[hannaedits]

Book Review: Gravity by Tal Bauer

Book Review: Gravity by Tal Bauer

Every book I’ve read by this author has been vastly different, but all have been fantastic, and Bauer brings that same storytelling skill to the hockey romance subgenre. In fact, he also completely nails what appeals to me about this subgenre in a discussion between the two main characters about the game of hockey itself. Overall, this is a story about soul mates, hockey style, with a fascinating…

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#book cover #book review #books #contemporary romance #fiction #gay romance #Gravity #hockey romance #novel #queer romance #reading #romance #Tal Bauer

[professionalqueerbookworm]

Queer Reviews: Tal Bauer, "The Grave Between Us" (Noah & Cole #2).

CW: explicit sexual content, graphic violence, murder, mentions of trauma and sexual assault

Plot: For years, men have been disappearing. A father in North Carolina. A boater in California. A hiker in Arkansas. And more, scattered across the United States. The FBI knows who’s responsible: a serial killer they caught, a man they sent young profiler Cole Kennedy to interrogate. But then the killer escaped, leaving the FBI in chaos and Cole’s psyche in tatters.

Eight years later, Cole’s life has changed. He’s found the man of his dreams, and he’s moved to Iowa to be with Special Agent Noah Downing, leaving the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and the murderers behind.

Or so he thought.

An attack on the backroads of Iowa shatters the FBI, and in the aftermath, they uncover the signature of the last man they expect: the killer who got away. Now he’s hunting Noah, and the BAU descends on Des Moines, sending Cole back on the psychological chase.

To catch the only man who has ever beaten him, Cole will have to delve inside the killer’s mind. It’s a place he barely survived before, and the deeper he goes, the more horrors await. And though Noah is ordered to back off the investigation, he won’t leave Cole to face this darkness alone.

If Cole has any hope of saving the man he loves, he must unravel the killer’s twisted profile and follow his trail of death… even when it leads him into the marrow of his worst nightmares.

10/10 on the Rainbow Scale™ 🌈: I've mentioned before how much I love the way Tal Bauer writes romance and how beautiful Noah and Cole's relationship is, so I won't do that here. I'm going to talk about what really left an impact on me: motherfucking IAN!!! It's been a while since I've been genuinely terrified of a villain, but this guy is so creepy and evil, I would physically recoil whenever he was up to his shit. I was scared out of my mind the whole time and it was AWESOME ❤️👀

#queer reads #lgbtq books #book review #book recommendations #tal bauer #the grave between us #noah and cole #gay #mlm lit #romance #suspense #mystery #thriller

[ireadwhatuwrite]

Secret Service by Tal Bauer is so good it made me think I might not like the romance genre anymore.

"Today, I love you" #DailyBookQuote Secret Service: A M|M Romance by Tal Bauer @talbauerwrites #IRWYW #DBQ #Review #mmromance #gayromance #talbauer #lgbtbooks #romancebooks #indieauthor #romance #books

“What matters is now and what we do with today. Tomorrow is a dream. The past is forgotten. Today, I love you.”Secret Service Book Title: Secret Service: A M|M RomanceAuthor: Tal BauerPurchase Link: https://amzn.to/3IbydqXAvailable in Kindle UnlimitedSee All My Favorite Quotes from This Book But wait … Secret Service by Tal Bauer is a romance book. How does that work? …Just tell me a…

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#DBQ #IRWYW #Book Review #Daily Book Quote #Kindle Unlimited #LGBTQ #MM Romance #Secret Service #Tal Bauer

[pageturner-posts]

You are my intensity.

#quotes #writing #spilled ink #books & libraries #book quotes #life quotes #books #literature #you & me #tal bauer #you&me #you & me by tal bauer

[addisonacres]

You & Meso soup

#mm romance #tal bauer #you & me #fun