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SERIES TOUR: Superheroes Enslavement by Stephen Chu (Excerpt + Q&A with Author)
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BOOK BLITZ: A Chance With His Alpha by Ava Beringer (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: Blooded by Nat Kennedy (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q & A with Author)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Relevant Law by Janice Jarrell (Excerpt)
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MANGA: Apart de Itooshii Kimi ga Naku
Apart de Itooshii Kimi ga Naku – Ohtake Tomo
Ishikawa works as a prop hand at a television studio. One day, a young actor name Ikami comes over and says to him ”I’m going to die tomorrow”…… Following that encounter, Ikami tries to make small talk with Ishikawa.
You, My Dearest Crying In My Apartment is prop hand Ishikawa slowly being drawn to young actor Ikami. Actually, it was more like Ikami, who everyone described as difficult and cold, inexplicably latched on to Ishikawa.
The prop hand found himself taking notice of Ikami’s quirks and comparing them to everyone else’s comments about the actor. The latter was spending more and more time in Ishikawa’s apartment. One day, they talked about Ikami’s problems with the studio head. Then one thing led to another and they ended up kissing…
We’ve seen a lot of characters forcing themselves on another character. I don’t know what that trope is called but I frequently found it annoying. What I liked about Ikami here was that he did it in a way that didn’t irritate me. And there were no sexual harassments involved. Or anything sexual at all, at first. I’m not even sure these two realized they were gay.
It was just Ikami deciding to spend time with the other man. As a socially awkward person, I could understand the young actor being not personable. He talked only to people he liked, which is Ishikawa. And there’s Ishikawa realizing he’s having a good time. Also, that they liked each other that way.
The story isn’t as dramatic as the title made it out to be. The feels were slow-burn and low-key. This one-shot was written like there were supposed to be more chapters. It could certainly use another one or two to fully flesh out the characters and some plot points. The ending had the couple reuniting but still left me hanging.
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REVIEW: Role Model by Rachel Reid
Game Changers: Role Model – Rachel Reid
The highly anticipated fifth novel in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series sees a grumpy professional hockey player meet his match in an out-and-proud social media manager
The hits just keep coming for Troy Barrett. Traded to the worst team in the league would be bad enough, but coming on the heels of a messy breakup and a recent scandal… Troy just wants to play hockey and be left alone. He doesn’t want to be in the news anymore, and he definitely doesn’t want to “work on his online presence” with the team’s peppy social media manager.
Harris Drover can tell standoffish Troy isn’t happy about the trade—anyone could tell, frankly, as he doesn’t exactly hide it well—but Harris doesn’t give up on people easily. Even when he’s developing a crush he’s sure is one-sided. And when he sees Troy’s smile finally crack through his grumpy exterior, well… That’s a man Harris couldn’t turn his back on if he wanted to.
Suddenly, Troy’s move to the new team feels like an opportunity—for Troy to embrace his true self, and for both men to surrender to their growing attraction. But indulging in each other behind closed doors is one thing, and for Troy, being in a public relationship with Harris will mean facing off with his fears, once and for all.
As much as I love Rachel Reid’s hockey romance series, Game Changers, I struggled with Book 3. As a result, I didn’t bother with Book 4. However, there was something about Book 5 that piqued my interest again. Because who doesn’t love a bad boy redemption story?
Role Model is top pro hockey player and asshole by association Troy Barrett, fresh from a scandal and having just been traded to bottom ranked team, Ottawa Centaurs. Feeling lonely and miserable, also secretly nursing a broken heart, he grumps his way through the day with the intent of moving to a better team when the season is over.
Troy is considered a pariah in the league after calling out his former teammate/best friend for sexually assaulting several women. Anticipating a frosty reception, he did not expect his new team welcoming him with open arms. Nor did he expect the Centaurs’ out-and-proud social media manager, Harris Drover, befriending him. And slowly but surely, drawing out that super secret side he had hidden for years. Also, is he imagining it or does the man smell like apples?
One thing that made me keen to read this is the promise of Ilya sightings. He is in very fine form here. Witness him cooing over a puppy. The author really made good use of his character in the plot, as well as setting up his and Shane’s second book.
However, what made Role Model stood out for me was that even with Ilya’s magnificent self making a very strong presence, Troy and Harris managed to shine and they did it quite brilliantly. There were no doubts that this is their story.
Raised by a happy family of apple farmers, Harris is the ray of sunshine Troy needed in his life. With his booming laugh and his beaming smiles and him being completely comfortable in his own skin. Everyone in the team loves the guy. I loved his openness and how he looked, really looked, and saw that behind the cold expressions was an anxious young man who could use a friend.
The romance was a beautifully rendered slow burn, friends to lovers, out for you story between two opposite people. It was super sweet and oh so gentle, showing a surprisingly thoughtful and caring side of Troy very few people are privileged to know.
The book did a fabulous job portraying how Troy’s character evolved from an angry, heart-broken and very sullen newcomer to Harris’ tentative friend to a motivated team player to a young man on the cusp of new love to the inspirational hero he is.
My heart went out to Troy when he felt like the whole world was against him. I was rooting so hard for him. The book’s Disney fairy tale ending couldn’t be more perfect. Of all people who deserved that many rainbows and his very own apple-scented prince, it was him.
Role Model is not only a story of bad boy gone good, it also a story about giving voice to those who were silenced and the courage it takes to be truly yourself. Funny, heartwarming and uplifting, this here is Rachel Reid upping her game and scoring a definite win
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Apple Pie
Artist: The Scary Jokes
Album: April FoolsP.S.
While Role Model can be read as a standalone, hockey is a group effort. So it’s best to meet the rest of the team starting with the meet-cute that led to the Stanley cup in Game Changer and that infamously incendiary trysts between that cocky Russian and the polite Canadian boy in Heated Rivalry.
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ROLE MODEL
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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SOUNDTRACK: Apple Pie by The Scary Jokes
Soundtrack to Game Changers: Role Model by Rachel Reid
Because Harris is smells like apples and the lyrics that goes “Every day’s an apple pie / When I’m with you I’m not so shy / And I almost feel alive in your arms / Help me forget what I’m going through and I’ll give everything to you / It’s the least that I could do” reminds me of how his friendship with Troy helped the hockey player through some difficult times.
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Oh, ain’t it lovely, ain’t it sweet
To be staring at my feet when I see you on the street?
I just get so bummed out when I think about
How I’ll always be too shy to say what’s on my mind
I’m fantasizing all the timeAnd every day is always sunny
I’m sweet as syrup on ya, honey
And isn’t it wonderful?
How you make me so confused when I talk to you
Am I losing my mind or am I winning your heart?Oh, if only I’d met you way back when I was alone without a friend
Things would’ve been so much easier then
Now I forget how to feel, I haven’t fully healed
Oh, from that awful blow
I hope it doesn’t show, cause I don’t want to be aloneEvery day’s an apple pie
When I’m with you I’m not so shy
And I almost feel alive in your arms
Help me forget what I’m going through and I’ll give everything to you
It’s the least that I could doWe could be happy, you and me
We could be happy, you and me
We could be happy, you and me
We could be happy, you and me
We could be happy, you and me
We could be happy, you and me
We could be happy, you and me
We could be happy? -
MOVIE FEATURE: Operation Hyacinth
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COVER REVEAL: A Land Of Never After by R.L. Davennor
